by Sharon | Jun 1, 2022 | Blog - All
A Progreso beach is more popular now that the pigs have moved in By Abraham Bojórquez May 27, 2022 This is the simple concept that is drawing more and more visitors to Pig Beach in Yucalpetén, the place a family of these adorable creatures now call home. Read more The recently opened tourist attraction between Chelem and Progreso houses eight Vietnamese pigs and was created as a space for recreation and raising awareness for animal protection. The story of Pig Beach is about second chances, and how unfavorable circumstances can take a turn for the better. In mid-2021, authorities were notified about strange noises coming from an empty lot in Progreso. While inspecting, the municipality found eight newborn piglets and their dying mother. Where the mother came from or who her owners were is unknown. Progreso’s Environmental Police Corps took care of the family, but unfortunately, it was already too late for the mother. One day, the pigs were taken to a little-frequented beach. Environmental Police officials noticed that the piglets enjoyed playing in the sea and chilling in the sand. The municipality then had the idea to create a tourist attraction around them, similar to the one that exists in the Bahamas. And just like that, the pigs went from vulnerable orphans to beloved local celebrities, and the beach itself underwent quite a transformation. It used to be a forgotten corner, covered in litter and discarded tires. Now, the place is not only clean but has become the first smoke-free beach in Yucatán. The piggies quickly became local darlings and were given names like Petunia, Pepa, Walt, and Rocky....
by Sharon | Jun 1, 2022 | Blog - All
English classes held on Saturdays wound up this past Saturday May 28th. Maestra Jody has enjoyed working with the kids and reports all are doing well. A fiesta was held in the last half of the class and here are the photos to enjoy. Maestra Jody and classMom with special cake This Monday May 30th will be our final bazaar. This has been a successful venture and it will begin again in the fall. In the few months we have been doing this, we have raised 21-24000...
by Sharon | Apr 30, 2022 | Blog - All
Hola to Luis’ many friends and supporters, This is the final report. WE DID IT!!! Thanks to several very generous gifts in April, we have exceeded our goal and been able to pay off Luis’ medical debt in full with a wee bit left which the family will put towards repairs to their damaged house. Luis will still need some follow-up medical care as well as several months of physical therapy twice weekly which my partner and I will pay for but the worst, financially, is now behind him and his family. They have asked me to pass along their deepest and most sincere appreciation to everyone who made this possible. With misty eyes, Jessica said to me last week that she never would have imagined there were so many caring and generous people in the entire world. I have asked her for short letters from each of the 2 debt holders confirming that the debt has been fully paid and will forward these as soon as I receive them. More good news! Luis is finally back at home with his family, although he’s going a bit stir crazy because he’s not supposed to expose his skin to direct sunlight yet – an almost impossible task here in super sunny Yucatan. The problem of the abscess on his chest has finally been resolved as exploratory surgery revealed a flesh-eating bacteria that was chewing away at subcutaneous tissue and causing the repeated infections. A thorough cleaning of the wound site, cauterization and a very strong antibiotic seem to have finally resolved that problem. There are still a few areas of blistering...
by Sharon | Apr 3, 2022 | Blog - All
Luis’ recovery is moving along poco a poco, although he had a small setback last month because the area where the debris hit him in his upper chest developed an abscess (a nasty looking, large pussy blister) which doctors removed and stitched the wound (at no additional medical cost). It ruptured a second time and was again pus-filled so a biopsy was taken and, thankfully, no cancer was found. His primary physician recommended exploratory surgery to see what was going on inside but the family wisely decided to get a second opinion before agreeing. That will happen on April 4th. His doctor has finally agreed to some “basic, soft” physical therapy on his shoulders and upper arms (legs aren’t healed enough yet) so we sent our PT guy over and Luis is now receiving PT twice weekly on our dime. I’ll bet that simply having a visitor to break up his boring routine will help with the depression, as well as with regaining his strength. He says it is somewhat painful which only means it’s working to keep the skin flexible as it heals. Interestingly, our PT guy’s name is also Luís. His depression seems to be waning; in fact, he attended a softball game last week in which his son was playing. As it was a night game (no sun), his doctors gave a thumbs up and he really enjoyed himself, according to his daughter-in-law. Attached are some recent photos which clearly show healing progress. The Debt is now down to NP80,000 with one final NP40,000 distribution due on April 9th. I advised Jessica that not many new donations are...
by Sharon | Apr 3, 2022 | Blog - All
Beach Communities,The successful return of “Evenings by the Sea” to the port of Progreso, YucatánThe event that was attended by the municipal president of Progreso, Julián Zacarías Curi, accompanied by his wife Alma Gutiérrez Novelo.(TYT).- “Tonight we were able to enjoy an evening like we used to, entire families shared beautiful memories and we finally fulfilled our goal, which is the recovery of public spaces and the gradual reactivation of the economy in Progreso,” said Zacarías Curi. With good attendance, both citizens of Progreso and national and international tourists, at 6:00 p.m. the concert started on the deck of the chocolate pier to pay a tribute to Mexican singer Luis Miguel, in the voice of guest artist Javier Alcalá. During the event, attendees enjoyed live music, the sale of snacks, a unique decoration, as well as the other attractions offered by the renovated international boardwalk. Simultaneously to this event, the “Bohemian Night” was also held in the house of culture, in which there were special guests who, to the rhythm of the Trova, enlivened the visit of the public. Finally, the mayor thanked the good response to this type of event and invited all Yucatecans to continue visiting the port and its beach communities. Beachhouse owners destroy the coastal dunes, and now the sea devours houses in Progreso Beach erosion problems continue in Progreso, which has led residents of beach areas to look for viable and ecologically sustainable options that allow the recovery of a few meters of sand, as the sea impacts directly the foundations of beachhouses. Coastal dunes form when wet sand is deposited along the coast...
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