It Is Personal To Us

  Long before Ty and I called Merida home we became aware of a  dog sanctuary in the nearby community of Uman . We found them by chance while scouring the internet for information about Merida. On Evolucion’s website, we saw the pictures of rescued dogs, and decided  because we were in Texas and could not physically volunteer, to offer financial donations to help the dogs of Evolucion.
  As human beings who domesticated dogs, it is our responsibility to treat companion animals with respect and dignity. We must be advocates for those who have no voice. We believe this is the reason many of us have in the past and many still continue to support Evolucion. We want to be part of the solution to improve the lives of dogs. We simply love dogs. We believe the hearts of the local and expat communities are sincere in this.

 

  Here is our personal story. His name was Panque, he was an adorable little ball of black fur, wheeling around in a doggie wheelchair. In June of 2012, the Evolucion FaceBook post asking for a “forever home” for Panque tugged at our heartstrings. At the same time, we responded by fully funding a plea by Evolucion to cover amputation costs for a dog named Paty who had a severely deformed back leg.  A friend and volunteer offered to bring Panque to us for a meeting; she was certain we would be perfect parents for the little dog in a wheelchair. However, we continued to decline this meeting. While reviewing the “Panque” post one more time, I phoned Silvia Cortes to ask for the address of the foster home where Panque was staying. The strong order of urine and feces filled the air as I approached the house and knocked on the iron protector. The door opened and I was greeted by a dozen or so large dogs and little Panque in his wheelchair. I realized this was not a “Foster Home”, but rather a location with a hired male worker where dogs were being housed. Seeing the conditions this little dog was in, I decided to phone Silvia and let her know I was taking Panque directly to the Veterinarian for evaluation. We committed to adopt Panque although there were never any adoption papers. I was unsure what would be found under his feces matted fur. When we arrived at the clinic, I was surprised the Vet knew Panque, Dr. Tony of Planned Pethood made it clear to me after his initial examination of Panque for Silvia Cortes he had informed her his birth defects were untreatable and he should be euthanized. At my request, Panque was given another exam, grooming and new X-rays. In my desire to help this dog, it was hard to accept the hopelessness of his situation. We changed his name to Rico which means “Noble Ruler”. For the next four and a half months we loved and cared for that sweet little boy. He had no use of his back legs and required around the clock care. While under the care of Evolucion he been allowed to drag himself around which had worn the tissue on his legs down to the bone (in fact the bone was worn flat), being left in the wheelchair for extended periods of time, the straps had left lesions on his legs. Once he had the matted coat removed it was obvious he was malnourished. He was incontinent and slept in diapers. Every time he urinated we removed his dirty bandages, washed the urine off his legs, dried him and wrapped his legs with new bandages. We consulted two local veterinarians, one in Cancun and another at A&M University Veterinary School in Texas about Rico’s condition.

   We requested a meeting with Silvia Cortes and three volunteers of Evolucion. During this meeting, Silvia and the volunteers agreed Evolucion did not have the facilities, staff or finances to care for a dog such was Rico. No explanation was offered as to why Silvia had not followed Dr. Tony’s recommendation. Many ideas for improvement were discussed. The volunteers and Silvia met later and an outline was created to implement necessary changes. Records would be kept, and Veterinarians recommendations would be followed. Dogs to sick too be cared for properly or were deemed not adoptable would be euthanized. We were assured by Silvia and the volunteers that changes in Evolucion policy would take place. Rico passed away with dignity in my arms on October 12, 2012; we were broken hearted.

   Amigos de Rico was founded in memory of our little Rico simply to help dogs. In the last three and a half years we have learned much and have needed to change many of our original beliefs to be more effective as we faced the overwhelming task of neglected and abused dogs in Yucatan. The one thing that has not changed and will remain is our desire to support organizations and individuals who work tirelessly to improve the lives of dogs in Yucatan.

Paty

In late October, after Rico’s passing, we inquired about Paty and how she was getting along following her amputation. We were shocked to discover in the five months since her procedure had been paid in full she had not yet had the surgery. We were informed she was underweight and anemic and not strong enough for the surgery. Rather than care for her anemia, she was neglected and forgotten. Under Evolucion’s care, she was needlessly forced to drag her deformed leg an additional five months. We can only speculate what might have happened had we not checked on her status.

Paty, the day she was brought to Pet Chalet

 

 

 

At our own expense we requested Sylvia bring Paty to Pet Chalet a local dog care center, we provided home cooked food, kibble and iron supplements, and with the commitment from Pet Chalet we prepared Paty for surgery. In two weeks her weight and anemia improved and she was able to undergo surgery. A task Evolucion did not accomplish in five months. We paid for her to rehab after surgery at Pet Chalet. Through all of this, she remained the property of Evolucion. By this time, we had made a significant financial investment in the health and welfare of Paty. During the months Paty was at Pet Chalet our other dog Adie had been diagnosed with cancer. Adie and I were making frequent trips to a Veterinary Oncologist in Houston for treatment. It was not an option for us to adopt Paty at that time. After six months at Pet Chalet and no viable offers for adoption, Paty was returned to the Evolucion facility a healthy, happy dog!

 

Paty, before being returned to Evolucion

    On January 22, 2014, I drove to  Evolucion in Uman to meet with Jeff Damon, Dr. Jeff Young and Steve Goward Of Dogs Trust. Jeff Damon and I were developing a training program for adoptive dogs. Steve Goward was here on request from Dr. Young to professionally assess, evaluate and advise the animal shelters on the Yucatan Peninsula. This was the day he was to evaluate Evolucion.

    Upon arrival I asked to see Paty. At that point, she had been back at Evolucion for seven months. A male worker entered a large oval fenced area with a concrete pad, and 30 or so large dogs. He brought Paty out of a room attached to this fenced area. As she labored to come to me, I could see her ribs. I could see her protruding vertebrae. She had skin lesions. As she raised her head to smell me, I could see the pain in her eyes. She only took a quick whiff and turned to hobble back to the room. I gasped at the sight of her missing tail, red, inflamed, oozing, with the bone exposed. Her thighs were coated in a layer of watery diarrhea, flies hovering above her. She was in desperate need of immediate medical attention.

 

 

 

 

 

 

  I insisted Sylvia bring Paty out for Dr. Young to examine (he had performed her amputation), Sylvia did bring Paty out after my third request, and after she had cleaned off the feces and bandaged the tail. Sylvia never responded to my questions about what had happened to her tail or how a dog who had an online sponsorship could be allowed to get into this kind of shape (we were told by local expat business owners that they were Paty’s online sponsors). Once again I found myself rescuing a dog from the rescuer. On the drive to Planned Pethood, given the shape she was in I was certain euthanasia would be recommended. She weighed just 20 pounds. However, she had emergency surgery on her tail that very day. With the exposed bone she was at risk of her spinal cord being compromised. That fateful day she started the long road to recovery.

 

 

   After four months, four surgeries, treatment for internal and external parasites, internal and external bacterial infections, eye infection and ehrlichiosis, we were able to bring this sweet girl to her new forever home. We vowed to never allow her to suffer again.

    During the time of Paty’s treatment we once again found ourselves in a meeting with Silvia discussing the neglectful treatment of a dog under her charge. We asked for Paty’s records, which we have never received. It was at this meeting which also included Patricia Holland, when we asked about Paty’s tail, We were told by Silvia that Paty had chewed off her own tail. Can you imagine the emotional and physical suffering a dog would be under to perform this kind of self mutilation? Google it, it is quite disturbing. The last words Ty said to Silvia Cortes and Patricia Holland were, “this cannot happen again”.

   Under Evolucion’s care Paty did not deteriorate overnight, it took seven months. Silvia Cortes, Patricia Holland and the volunteers of Evolucion made a conscious decision to look the other way. They made a conscious choice to ignore her suffering. We are certain she would not have survived had I not found her that day at Evolucion. She would have died a sick, painful, stressful, sad and lonely death.

 

Jan.22, 2014. The day Paty was rescued from Evolucion

Evolucion has committed to care for until they are adopted or die natural deaths (excerpt from Evolucion AC (English) Dec 14, 2015, 4:46pm FaceBook post)
 

Is this the “natural” death Paty could have suffered?

In our home today she is a happy, healthy and loyal 38 pounds.

  

Paty today

 

A little history:

 

 In October 2010 we fully funded the building of a bodega to store the dog food on the grounds of Evolucion, at a cost of $1800 US. At our urging, family members also made contributions.

 

All I can say is ‘wow!’.  Your generosity along with that of Ty and Sara has been amazing.  Through your family’s contributions we have been able to substantially improve the kennels and create a storage facility to house medical supplies and the 23+ bags of dog food that are delivered weekly to our sanctuary.

(excerpt received by email from Linda Letcher on behalf of Evolucion, dated 12/12/2010)

 From: slv_cc@.com

To: sara_bateman@com

CC: patintheyucatan@com

Subject: Thanks a lot!

Date: Mon, 12 Nov 2012 22:35:30 +0000

 Dear Sara the dewormers were bought today and we already have them in the shelter. I simply have no words to let you know how much I appreciate this and what a great help this is, we can deworm all our dogs in all their areas at the same time which means an optimus result in the shelter. Thank you, thank you so much, your help has meant a lot of improvments in our dogs life.

(Excerpt email received from Silvia Cortes)

   Twice we paid to deworm the 180 dogs at Evolucion at a cost of $900US. We also made monthly donations of $100 per month online.

From: tybateman@.com

To: patintheyucatan@.com; sara_bateman@com

CC: slv_cc@.com

Subject: RE: Second Spay and Neuter Clinic in Uman

Date: Sun, 12 Jan 2014 10:56:07 -0600

 Hello Patricia / Silvia,

 

  At this time Amigos de Rico would like to grant 15,000.00 pesos to each of the 2 upcoming Uman clinics (30,000 mxp total). This of course is in addition to the 100.00 usd monthly donation to Evolucion from Rico. (excerpt from email to Evolucion, 10 days before I rescued Paty)

   We also donated $10,000MXP to complete the construction of the quarantine building.                    

I could go on as many more cash donations were made as well. Please do not misunderstand our public disclosure of contributions as boasting, I have only included this information to make it clear that in the past we have been avid supporters of Evolucion and have a long history with Silvia Cortes, Patricia Holland and Evolucion.

   Some of our friends and fellow expats have completed successful adoptions and have positive volunteer stories. Our concern and the concern of many is the inability, due to philosophy, to control the number of dogs in Evolucion. The dogs who require care beyond Evolucion’s capabilities, dogs whose health is compromised when professional advice is not heeded, dogs who do not receive proper medical care, dogs who are warehoused off site, dogs hidden in rooms such as Paty, which a casual volunteer might never see, and dogs who in the past, Silvia and Evolucion have not responded to with effective care.

Neglect and suffering is the direct result of housing more dogs than a shelter can adequately care for.

    It is not just the dogs who suffer when an organization neglects dogs to the point Rico and Paty were neglected. People suffer! Children who visit Evolucion and see the overcrowded conditions, and the dogs who go untreated may come to believe this treatment of animals is acceptable. The veterinarians suffer while walking a line of commerce and empathy. Silvia suffers, and the volunteers suffer. Is it possible loyalty to the organization takes precedence over the welfare of the animals under their care? The culture of Yucatan suffers as the organization offering education for proper animal care is guilty of the offenses they teach against. And we, as an expat community suffer, when we stand divided, when standing together we would be more effective. Ty and I have suffered the anger, the grief and the hopelessness of Rico. We suffered the anger, and senselessness in Paty’s neglect. We have suffered the guilt of not demanding justice for Paty.

  Finding a solution to this ongoing problem is difficult, we have had two meetings with the leaders of Evolution and yet the problems and ineffective policies continue at the expense of some dogs in their care.

  I believe as a community we all truly want to find a solution. As an organization who exists solely on donations. We should ask for public transparency from Evolucion with their financial and medical records. We should ask for public disclosure of off site foster homes and dog warehouses. We should ask for new and effective policies to be implemented. The donors should require enforcement of these policies. Money speaks loudly. In January 2014, we and Amigos de Rico withdrew future financial contributions and no longer support Evolucion or Silvia Cortes in good faith until effective policies are instituted and enforced. Amigos de Rico did complete our commitment for the spay and neuter clinics.

 

  The government provides no support to the shelter and does not have any effective programmes themselves to deal with the issue. That leaves the shelter to rely 100% on private donations and on volunteer workers. The shelter was founded on the philosophy of respect for all life - giving all beings the chance to heal, be rehabilitated and live happy, peaceful lives. The goal is to maintain this philosophy (excerpt from Evolucion AC (English) Face Book post Dec 14, 2015 4:46pm)

 The above philosophy did not hold true for Rico or Paty.

 Signs that an animal has been abused as outlined by the Human Society and ASPCA:
 

*Inability to provide even minimal standards of nutrition, sanitation, shelter and veterinary care. (Paty)

*Open wounds, ongoing injury or illness that is not being treated, lack of veterinary care (Paty and Rico)

*Extreme thinness or emaciation, bones may be visible. (Paty and Rico)

*Patches of bumpy, scaly skin rashes. (Paty)

*Signs of inadequate grooming. (Paty and Rico)

*Heavy discharge from the eyes or nose

*Visible signs of confusion or extreme drowsiness. (Paty)

*Animals housed in crowded conditions. (Paty and Rico)

*Animal is kept in an area littered with feces and urine (Rico)

*More animals than can be properly cared for (Paty and Rico)

  Sadly, Rico and Paty suffered neglect to the point of abuse in the hands of an organization who should have been their advocate. We were committed with financial contributions and Evolucion did not act responsibly and have not been transparent and accountable. The issue for us is trust.

   I ask you, if we are just one family who happened upon not one, but two dogs who were improperly cared for by Evolucion, how many others do we know nothing about?

 

Ty and Sara Bateman

Amigos de Rico

 

 

 



 

 

 

A Forever Home

I peek to see if Momma is still there, she is, I snuggle down in what Momma calls “your stroller” it is my special place and I love it. Momma changes the padding every night and it is all soft with cotton. I close my eyes listening to the sounds of Home while Momma makes soft sounds in her sleep assuring me all is well I drift back to sleep, remembering the first time I ever saw her…….

As the door opens I drag myself as fast as I can helped along with a set of wheels. The woman looks me directly in the eye as she says “baby boy, you are mine now”. I am a little nervous as we ride in a car then the woman carries me through a door and says to me “baby boy, we are home”. I pick up the scent of a dog as the woman says “Adie this is your new brother” I do not know what a brother is but, from the sound in the woman’s voice it must be good. Adie seems sort of snooty and my guess is, not at all glad to have a baby brother. She circles me sniffing from a distance.  The woman says “Adie be nice” Adie raises her nose in the air, jumps on the sofa and lies down with a snort. Of course I have never seen a sofa or a swimming pool or had my own bowl or the glorious new things the woman calls “toys” but I am learning very fast.

 

It is dark now and everything is strange, the sounds in the house, the smells. Every time the woman touches me it is soft and when she scratches my ears I feel a warm sensation through my body. She reaches for me and says “Momma loves you, Baby Boy”. Momma gives me a bath and now I smell like flowers which I don’t like, but Momma seems to enjoy it because she snuggles me and rubs my ears “you are a clean boy” she says nuzzling her nose against my skin. Every morning a man comes through the door and Momma says “Alejandro is here”, Adie gets very excited barking and jumping around, so I decide I will do the same except when I get excited I pee. Alejandro comes outside to say hello, first he say’s “Adie Cookie?” Adie seems to like cookies because she sits and lifts her paw to shake Alejandro’s hand. Then he offers me a cookie, cookies smell delicious, so I take it from his hand.

Sometimes I sense empathy and patience from Momma. She sits me on the counter which is another of my special places. I know it is special because Momma rubs my ears and talks very sweet to me. There is something in my special place I do not like, water and the soap that smells like flowers. Yuk!  A basket holds assorted things to bandage my legs. Momma places everything in front of my nose for me to inspect. She softly reassures me as she dots cream on my legs where I have no hair or skin then she bandages my legs. When she is finished she sits me on the floor and I am free to go explore. I drag myself around feebly attempting to mark my territory on my expedition; I am embarrassed as Adie watches me dribble pee on my newly bandaged legs, she struts off with her nose in the air. I pull myself along with my strong front legs, I let out a yelp as I catch up to her, she jumps onto the sofa putting as much distance between us as possible because she knows I cannot jump. I am a puppy and my gums hurt, I decide to chew on a rock. Momma places a bone in front of me; bones are much tastier than rocks.

Momma tells Adie and me to sit; I try to be very good like Adie. I know Momma has a Pup-A-Roni so I start to wiggle over to her even though she told me to “Stay”. Momma is very patient and tells me “Sit-Stay” I try not to wriggle until Momma says “Come Rico” then as fast as I can I drag myself over to her out reached hand to gobble the delicious tidbit as she says “good boy Rico”. I have learned that I am a good boy and my name is Rico. Sometimes, Momma calls me Ric-o-Roni.

Adie gets very happy when Momma says “Daddy is coming home” I do not know what a Daddy is….. Then I hear someone come through the door snooty Adie makes a complete fool of herself, jumping, snorting, and twisting every which way. I drag myself as quick as I can to see this new man… So this is a Daddy! He reaches down with his large hand and gives me a gentle rub under my chin. I am excited to meet him, so I pee.  

One morning Momma and Daddy are busy, Momma puts me on my special counter and a terrible thing happens, she washes every inch of my body even my ears. I do not like it one bit so I poop in the water. She says “oh, Baby Boy” and proceeds to bath me all over again. There is a good part to having a bath, when Momma is finished she wraps me in a dry towel and holds me close gently rubbing every inch of me. It feels so good, I snuggle my nose to her chest as she looks me straight in the eye drops her face to mine and says “Rico, I love you, Baby Boy”! I close my eyes and let my body go limp, I am safe and I am secure even if I do smell like flowers. Daddy says “let’s go” Momma holds me securely in her arms as we walk through the front door. I raise my nose in the air to take in all the new smells. Momma places me in a soft comfortable seat with my favorite toy “Teddy Bear”. I like the seat; I can see out the windows as Daddy drives, I see a lot of people and cars, but I do not see any other dogs in car seats. The motion in the car makes me sleepy and since I am clean and have my Teddy Bear, I decide to sleep even though I smell like flowers. We go to another of my special places. Momma says “Patricia is my Physical Therapist”. I sense so much love and gentleness from Patricia. Because she is so sweet, I lie very still and let her rub me all over, I let her rub me until she is tired of rubbing, then Momma takes me home and I nap.

Every night Momma washes me and places me in my stroller, as she rubs me and places a kiss on top of my head, she says “here is your Teddy Bear, good night sweet boy” I give her hand a lick. She rolls me beside her bed. I hear her ask “Adie you want Momma to put you on the bed”? Adie can still be a little snooty as she eyes me from her pillow. Momma says “night Baby Girl, night Baby Boy”. As she turns off the light I snuggle into position so I can see Momma and check on her during the night.

In the mornings Momma sits a bowl mounded with the most delicious food in front of me. Adie gets a bowl too. I eat all of mine then I help Adie eat hers. When all of the food is gone I spend a long time helping Momma by licking the bowls clean. My bones no longer poke out, making it much more comfortable to lie down on the cool concrete. When Daddy is home he slips me and Adie little treats of food from his plate. Daddies are the best!

 

One day Momma is very upset, I can sense her sorrow. I can smell the salt on her cheek. She and Daddy are talking to Dr. Tony.  In the car Momma and Daddy talk, I feel their sadness. Daddy reaches over to touch her hand and then pats my head. At home that day Momma is sad so I sit in her lap as much as she needs me too, I let her scratch my ears, because it makes her feel better. I rest my head on her arm; I look into her eyes to let her know how much I love her.

Momma, Adie and I are up early, which I like because Momma holds me and tells me I am a good boy.  I hear a knock; I drag myself to the door as Dr. Tony steps inside.  I am excited to see Dr. Tony again and decide to chew on the hem of his pants. I sense sadness in Momma, a deep and mournful sad as she scoops me into her arms and gently places me on the bed, she crawls onto the bed beside me for a good snuggle. She brings her face to mine and kisses the top of my head; I wiggle and lick the tip of her nose to let her know she is a good Momma. I feel her heart beat; I smell the salty wet .I feel her love and grief as she says “Rico you are a good boy”. Dr. Tony is very gentle when I feel a prick on my thigh. I look into Momma’s eyes and I know she loves me.

I smell the trees and the flowers, I watch as a leaf slowly floats through the air, I jump to catch it in my mouth and toss it back into the air. I am so happy, following the trail through the woods, sniffing and lifting my back leg on every bush to mark my territory; I chase an iguana until he disappears into a hollow log. It is a bright and beautiful day; in my heart, I hear Momma say “run Rico, run and play”! So I do, I run like the wind!

Rico

March 9, 2012 – October 12, 2012

Rico was the little dog in the wheelchair, both hind legs twisted and unusable from birth. He did not see his handicap and would drag himself playing with toys and chasing our Schnauzer, Adie. He struggled to do ordinary dog things, but always seemed to have a smile on his sweet face. He was a little guy but huge in spirit and touched everyone he met with his special brand of charm.

He was abandoned by his first family, and rescued by a local shelter that was smitten by the little guy, but struggled to provide the care Rico needed. We were told he was probably unadoptable, he was at the bottom of the barrel, but this little dog captured our hearts and changed our lives forever. Through Rico’s challenges which sadly he was unable to overcome we recognized a need in Yucatan to help Special Needs Dogs. The little unadoptable dog in a wheelchair found his “Forever Home” and will live in our hearts forever. He will always be remembered through Amigos de Rico Memorial Foundation and our hope is countless dogs and their families will find help through the generosity of the donors and volunteers.

Please ''LIKE'' Amigos de Rico facebook page:

Amigos de Rico

 

 

 

 

Our Neighborhood: Pedro Infante

One of the unique things about our neighborhood that a lot of people probably don't know about is the tributes and statue to Mexico's idol of the 40's and 50's, Pedro Infante.
 (Most of the text below was gathered from The Yucatan Times and Wikipedia)

 José Pedro Infante Cruz (November 18, 1917 - April 15, 1957), better known as Pedro Infante, is perhaps the most famous actor and singer of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema and was the idol of the Mexican people, together with Jorge Negrete and Javier Solís, who were styled the Tres Gallos Mexicanos (the Three Mexican Roosters). He was born on November 18, 1917 in Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico. He was raised as a child in Guamúchil.

His film career began in 1939 with him appearing in more than 60 films, and starting in 1943, he recorded about 350 songs. For his performance in the movie Tizoc, he was awarded the Silver Bear of the 1957 Berlin International Film Festival for Best Actor and also a Golden Globe in Hollywood, for 'Best Actor in a Leading Role', awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

Though he made millions, he always represented the common poor carpenter he once was. Infante was a symbol of someone who had worked himself up from nothing. To many Latin Americans, he wasn't just an actor and singer, but much, much more. Fifty five years have done nothing to erase his influence and to this day, flowers are taken to his grave in Mexico City.

Since 1945, Pedro Infante chose the city of Merida as his getaway from fame, the ideal place to relax and have fun as he could not do in any other part of Mexico. He was always surrounded by fans that never let him rest.

In Merida, the citizens saw him as a Yucatecan, they would greet him but never bother him for autographs, or ask him to sing for them. He was free to go to public and popular places with no problem, whatsoever. The Yucatecan food was one of his favorites.

He had a home on Itzáez Avenue, where he used to bring his fellow actors, and even Ismael Rodriguez, his head manager used to stay there to work on new scripts for their upcoming films. He also liked to tour around town on his powerful Harley Davidson motorcycle.

The city where he chose to relax and have fun, years later would become the place where he lost his life in a plane crash on property at Calle 87 x 52 y 54.

The death of Pedro Infante on the morning of April 15, 1957, was announced by radio personality Humberto Rodríguez, of radio station XEMH of Mérida, after one of the firefighters discovered the bracelet engraved with the name "Pedro Infante", plus the winged insignia that symbolized his aviator license. This was around 8:15 am; at 11:12 am, Manuel Bernal, of Mexico City radio station XEW, gave the news saying: "this Monday, April 15, 1957, Pedro, our beloved Pedro...this has been confirmed, has died in a tragic accident in Mérida, Yucatán".

Calle 87 x 54 y 52

There is a plaque bearing his name on the exact site where his charred body was recovered from the wreckage. Also killed in the crash were Marciano Buatista, Capt. Victor M. Vidal, a young woman named Ruth Rosell Chan, and a young child named Baltazar Martin Cruz.

The corner of Calle 54 y 87



Calle 62 x 91

Every April 15th, there are festivities and celebrations at the corner of Calle 54 x 87 and also at the small plaza with his statue at Calle 62 x 91.

Below is a small part of the investigation and probable cause of the crash:

The aircraft climbed to a height of 100m and made a 65deg left turn. The aircraft continued to climb to 150-200m and made another turn. The Liberator yawed left, lost control and nose dived into the ground, killing a child on the ground. Among those killed aboard the plane was Pedro Infante, a famous Mexican singer, actor.

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The accident was due to a maneuvering error which consisted in making two turns onto the Mexico City heading without conforming the distance and procedure specifications and below the prescribed altitudes and speeds. This error was aggravated by a probable shifting of the load due to improper securing."

To this day you will often hear the music of Pedro Infante playing in the neighborhoods of Mérida.

 

Our Neighborhood : Cocina ''La Casa De La 60''

Where we live is not unlike most neighborhoods in Mérida. Our address is considered to be in ''Centro'' but, just barely. We live in far South Centro (Hence, ''Casa Sur''). We're proud of our neighborhood and have made some good friends here. In an ongoing series, we'll tell you about some of our favorite places here.


Of course, we have many cocina economicas in our area. One of our favorites is ''La Casa De La 60''. It is just up the street from us and boy do they serve up some good food. We usually get our food ''para llevar'' (to go) but they do have a few tables where you can ''comiendo en nuestra casa'' (eat in our house), as they say. Good food and good people, come give it a try!

                                       No big sign, just a small family run business

      The name of the business and the menu are posted on the front door. Three different meals per day.

                                A peek inside, you won't find a cleaner place to eat anywhere.

The prices. 35 pesos for a full serving (entera), or 20 pesos for a half meal when you get them to go. 3 pesos for the disposable plates, but they've never charged me the 3 pesos. The prices to eat there are 40 pesos para entera and 25 pesos for the half order.

           Today Sara ordered the Tortitas de Carne with rice and a stack of warm tortillas and it was excellant.

I ordered the Pollo Empanizado, breaded and fried chicken with rice, a nice salad, and some great macaroni soup w/ chicken livers and hearts mixed in. It was very good!

Meet the good people that own and operate this fine place, from R to L, Mirium (the owner), her daughter Gisela, and the grand daughter Fatima (age 10).

They are open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday thru Saturday. They are located at the esquina of Calle 60 and 85 (or, El Iris).

I almost forgot, Sara and I ordered the 1/2 meal and it was almost more than we could eat. The total price,with tip was 60 pesos (a little over $4.00 usd, Que bueno).

They don't have drinks but, not to worry......There is ''Tienda Iris'' right next door where you can get a couple of sodas for 10 pesos!

                                                                        Buen Provecho!

J.D. Ware, Artesano

''Hecho A Mano''...... Made by hand.

There is just something about those three words that tells you that what you are looking at is something special. In Mexico, it can be something as simple and satisfying as a good cigar or as complex as a finely woven Yucatecan hammock. Here, a lot of things are ''Hecho A Mano''.

We first met Jeff Ware at the AANY Show last year in Mérida. He had a display of pocket knives, kitchen knives and hunting / camping knives that were beautiful, sturdy, functional and sharp. They were all made by him, by hand.

Before Fathers Day rolled around that year, I knew that I wanted to get my father something special. Something from Mexico, our new home. Something ''Hecho A Mano''.

I contacted Jeff and told him what I was thinking about. A single blade pocket knife with a wood handle, engraving on the blade, and of course the silver escutcheon pinned to the handle with nickel silver pins (hammered and polished 1920's silver 10 centavo pieces that Jeff finds locally). I mentioned that my father was 80 years old and that it was a Fathers Day gift.

A couple weeks later I went to Jeff's shop to pick up the knife. I was amazed at the craftsmanship, how sharp it was, and just the feel of it in my hand. The handle was made from local Dzalam wood. Jeff explained how he had made the handle a little more slender so that it would be comfortable to carry. Noting my fathers age, he made the spring a little thinner so that it would be easier to open, the thumb notch on the blade was a little bigger and easier to grasp. He gave me a tour of his workshop and showed me the tools that he uses to make his knives.
I was very pleased with his work and I'm sure my father was as well.


Fast forward almost a year........When Sara was constructing her kitchen in Casa Sur, I knew that I had to get Jeff to make her a set of kitchen knives. She is quite the cook and a good set of knives are important.

It is a lengthy process to make these knives and I couldn't begin to explain it but you can read about it here. It is an interesting and informative read.

Here are some pictures of the process:

Jeff has quite an interesting and inspirational story about how he came to be a knife maker in Mérida, learning from a matchete maker in the mountains of Oaxaca years ago. You can read his story here .

Our knives will see alot of use and we are very proud to own them, as will our grandkids someday.

Thanks Jeff.