Kiddy statues of Catemaco

Apparently a statue of a little boy is supposed to reawaken the touristic interest in Veracruz which has gone to the pigs.

Semi.nude boys statues are found peeing all over the world. and now Veracruz will have two that I know of. Confoundingly, though I haver never seen one of a little girl.

Beautiful downtown Catemaco has its own statue of a little boy. Of course, he is peeing. It's a replica of the famous Belgian Manneke Pis  which is a small bronze sculpture depicting a naked little boy urinating into a fountain in Brussels, the Belgian capital. The kid apparently peed upon some attacking soldiers and is credited with winning a battle.

I have no idea why a restaurant serving fried fish on the Malecon in Catemaco would have him decorating an alcove on its outside walls. That is just another one of the wonderful mysteries of Catemaco.

By the way, how would you like to be a little swineflu boy, depicted in green and placed on top of a mountain?  Is this Veracruz governor nuts, or what?

Photo of kid: Burro Hall

For sale 8000 sf Lot on Laguna Catemaco shore

Located 4 minutes south of beautiful downtown Catemaco, Veracruz. 60 feet of  private waterfront, on a hilly incline with spectacular views.

US $ 55,000. 

Please contact catemacotere@gmail.com.

Travel in Mexico

As anyone living in Mexico knows, Mexico is an extraordinarly unsafe country.

For gringos that is fortunately not true. Mexican people, and I guess Mexican criminals have this misbegotten idea that any problem involving gringos invokes the Mexican federal government or the US Embassy.

Generally speaking, if you are gringo, you will receive preferrential treatment in the provinces of Mexico. In the border areas you will be considered fresh meat. And if you are dumb enough to travel without car insurance anywhere in Mexico, you will be god's gift to extortionists.

Most Mexicans quiver in their pants over either being kidnapped or being obligated to empty their ATM account.
And many seek safer places.

Recently my Popoluca, who is a realtor, is negotiating several sales of houses of owners who want to leave the insecurity of Catemaco. Meanwhile she is also negotiating for houses for people from other areas of Mexico like Guadalajara and Puebla, who want to retire  to Catemaco because they think it is a safe haven.

The answer to those differences may lie in the middle.

Generally any gringo traveling in Mexico is protected by the "nochingagringos" effect, which is primarily practiced by the federal highway police, and to a limited extent by state police.

All that is obviated by the "gringopagadoble" effect in place in most interactions with local shopkeepers .

Catemaco Food

If you want to eat great Catemaco food, I suggest you head to New York City.

Zarela Martínez was born in Mexico and has created a niche market of English cookbooks about Veracruz cooking, and she simply gushes about Catemaco.
She also owns a restaurant in New York and plans to offer Catemaco delicacies, including tegogolos, but she will need a little help finding those.

The food of Catemaco: The place where ancient mexicas thought paradise was

Catemaco Tegogolos 2

While the secretary of tourism and the mayor of Catemaco are looking for another way to fill their pockets with selling beer to Catemaqueños who mostly live on less than 2 minimum wages, there is a fabulous opportunity:


The largest snail cocktail in the world!
attempt at the Guiness world record book.

Catemaco is famous for "tegogolos", a shelled fresh water snail endemic to Laguna Catemaco. These snails have a reputation in Mexico as an aphrodisiac and are much more tasty and cheaper than Viagra.

Thus, this event would attract thousands who seek erections to magical Catemaco.

The abandoned structure near the Laguna Catemaco "harbor master's" quarters could be converted into a giant garbage can liner outfitted cocktail glass.

Mexican and international lovers would flood the dozens of hotels and bars in town. The forgotten whores of the Catemaco red zone would earn some well deserved financial cushions, and the snail divers of Maxacapan, who regularly complain about the hard work of catching these snails, would finally be able to buy snorkels.

Furthermore, it could be attached to the upcoming festival  of "Mother's Day" and would solidly cement Catemaco's growing reputation as the best place to get drunk north of Cancun.