Destruction and Construction December 2018

Our little town is being transformed so quickly that if you haven't visited us recently, you might not recognize it when you return.  So much work is being done everywhere.
 I've been curious about what's been going on behind the black tarps for some time now.  This is the park that has been the locale for several events over the years.  More than one Umarela celebration has been held here ( Umarela 2016 Umarela 2017 Umareal 2015 and it was the starting point for a bicycle food drive,Rodada del Amor in 2016.

A lot of work came to a standstill after we suffered a severe tropical storm.  It was all over in one night but it came down so heavily,it collapsed whole sections of the canal.  a few lost their homes.  I had no idea.  All I knew was that it was coming down so hard, going outside was not an option.  reading was the only entertainment open as the roar on the roof drowned out music and video.  The next morning, city water was off.  I have a big plastic rotoflex on the roof so I was good for a few days at least.

The next night, I bumped into a student who lives in the most affected area, at the grocery store.
She showed me her smartphone video of somebody's washing machine being carried down the canal.

Six men couldn't lift this slab of concrete but the force of flood carried it from much further up the canal.

Naturally, all this destruction diverted priorities away from all the road work that had been underway but I'm happy to say that as soon as Mother Nature gave the city workers an even break, they turned those six lanes from downtown to UMAR to smooth black butter.
 

Swinging back to the park to get some better angles.

There's a new structure.

I'm dying to see how this is all going to turn out.  For the best look at it before these massive renovations, click  Parque Rufino Tamayo 2015

 

Huatulco didn't suffer too badly from the big earthquake over a year ago but in some places there was structural damage that wouldn't be apparent to passersby.  Everything went under inspection and the downtown market was taken down.
This is the new market being constructed in the same place.  This time, we're getting two levels.

The market stalls have been temporarily relocated at either end of the downtown park.  This has worked out quite well.  Suspending rotary traffic hasn't caused any major headaches.  Visitor traffic to the market may even have increased.

Christmas is coming and we're probably going to want those two park streets back for rotary traffic soon but that new market couldn't possibly be ready before then, could it?

December 14th, Friday night, 7 pm.  Is that not amazing? Maybe we'll see a new park by Christmas too.


Finally, here's a new building downtown that seems to be on the verge