Dean has been upgraded to a category five storm, and is boiling straight toward the Yucatan. Everyone is talking about the resorts, but I think about all the rural folks just inland, making their subsistence living on farming their milpas, living in thatch roof structures. It's all flat and low, which is bad, but porous limestone, which hopefully gives the water someplace to go.
It's been many years since I lived in Merida, and went beach camping on the Maya coast (paying some guy a buck to hang a hammock between two palm trees on the beach), but one thing I still remember is the warmth and hospitality of the folks in the Yucatan. I hope they come through this storm as unscathed as possible.
Posted by binky at August 20, 2007 09:07 PM | TrackBack | Posted to Latin America | Natural DisastersWhat a lovely recollection. I've only been there as a tourist but I was struck by how flat and open the terrain is -- nowhere high to go, really. Crossing my fingers for the people there.
Posted by: kcb at August 21, 2007 03:51 PM | PERMALINKWell, it looks like there is good news from the coast, that the coastal nature parks are not badly affected, and hopefully if they aren't then the surrounding areas are not either. It moved across pretty quickly.
Posted by: binky at August 21, 2007 04:40 PM | PERMALINK
