Cozumel News today, March 31st, 2015: Easter week in Cozumel, Super Yacht “A” visits Cozumel, and in Aurita’s Corner a review of IMSS Medical Insurance and Cozumel’s San Jose JC Funeral Home.
Happy Easter Week everyone, I hope you are enjoying this beautiful week here in Cozumel or in your hometowns. I posted on Facebook that our family celebrated the start of Holy Week by participating in a Palm Sunday procession from the sports stadium near our home to Corpus Christi Church. Easter in Mexico is celebrated as Semana Santa, or Holy Week. The Christian Holy days are the same as in the United States and other countries that celebrate Easter. The places of worship have extra services this week. Check with your place of worship for the schedule or contact me for the Corpus Christi Catholic Church and English Services held at Ebenezer Church. In Cozumel, the schools are closed for Easter Vacation for two weeks and this Thursday and Friday April 2 and 3, the BANKS ARE CLOSED.
We have all been amazed by the unique look and size of Super Yacht “A”. It has been reported that it is in Cozumel for the filming of a new James Bond Movie. I can’t wait to see the movie so we can get a good view of the inside of the yacht! Here is what I discovered about the yacht in an article by Yacht by Sea:
A, owned by Andrei Melnichenko
Overview
At 394’0″ feet, A is a mega yacht owned by 36-year old Russian Billionaire Andrei Melnichenko. Designed by Philippe Starck, A is reminiscent of a submarine warship. Her unique shape and name has brought “A” some attention, including being dubbed the “ugliest yacht in the world” by a Wall Street Journal columnist and incurring rebuke from yacht enthusiasts that the design makes this pleasure cruiser look like a “stealth yacht” or naval destroyer. The mega yacht’s name “A” is a tribute to Andrei Melnichenko and his wife Aleksandra Nikolic. A was built to be bigger and more expensive than Pelorus, the pride of Russian Billionaire Roman Abramovich, (owner of the Chelsea Football Club) who has since commissioned a new mega yacht called Eclipse.
Construction
A was designed by French designer Philippe Starck and architect Martin Francis. A was built by the same German company that Constructed Battleship Bismarck, the Pride of the Nazi Fleet. Features 2x MAN RK280 diesel engines and a crew of 42. Unlike most yachts, which are built with large hulls capable of supporting multiple spacious decks for lounging, A’s streamline design is mostly enclosed. The aft of the boat supports a three-story watchtower with tinted wrap around windows. Due to her knife-like design, A makes almost no splash at 24 knots.
Features
A’s attributes include six guest suites with moving walls to create four larger suites, each with a stainless-steel whirlpool bath. The master bedroom, located at the top of the watchtower, contains an enormous bed that rotates on a turntable for a panoramic view out all the windows. A also contains two swimming pools, a helipad, a hovercraft, a garage, over 100 audio speakers, and more than a dozen plasma TV screens, many of which can be mistaken for mirrors.
In keeping with her outer shape, A’s indoors include doors unlocked by electronic finger pads, spotlights, and motion sensors. Reputedly, Andrei Melnichenko’s wife Aleksandra Nikolic redesigned the interior of A after her wedding, giving the mega yacht leather walls, more practical furniture, and a neutral color pallet more in keeping with a home.
Owner
Andrei Melnichenko is a Russian billionaire born in Belarus who founded MDM Bank, one of Russia’s largest banks. Reputedly, a math wizard, Andrei Melnichenko has built his fortune by also investing in coal, chemicals and steel companies.
Resources: Robert Frank of The Wall Street Journal reviews Andrei Melnichenko’s
Aurita’s Corner
I have written about the advantages of IMSS insurance for family coverage in the past. I have ran upon conflicting opinions about the care you receive using this, the Mexican Social Security Hospital and Medical System. It has proven to be a financial lifesaver for my family as my husband medications run into the hundreds monthly. I have excellent care at scheduled appointments with general practitioners, specialists, and even in emergency a few times.
I also introduced you to San Jose JC Funeral Home, that has a sister location in Playa del Carmen where they perform their cremations. The other funeral homes on the island contract with them for cremations and charge you an extra service fee for being the middleman.
I asked Joyce Larsen, wife our dear friend Ken to write about her experiences with the IMSS Medical system and San Jose JC Funeral Home. Here is her report and remember instructions on applying for IMSS insurance are in The Cozumel Sun under https://www.thecozumelsun.com/living-in-cozumel-guide/health-insurance/.
IMSS Hospital
By Joyce Larsen
My husband, Ken, and I retired to Cozumel in 2006; neither one of us was old enough for Medicare nor we did not have any US medical insurance. We could pay for our daily medical needs but knew we would need insurance for major medical needs such as a heart attack or stroke. We decided to purchase the IMSS insurance.
In 2013, Ken started to have muscle weakness in his legs. He was diagnosed with a tumor in his spine. Our doctor sent us to Merida to a neurosurgeon and pain specialist. The surgeon indicated he could do surgery and the surgery would cost approximately $15,000 US. That was more money than we had. We decided to use our IMSS insurance.
IMSS sent us to Cancun where Dr. Brito, a neurosurgeon, evaluated him. At this time he could no longer walk. He accepted him as a patient and decided to do exploratory surgery to determine the status of the tumor. The biopsy took three weeks. The result was that the tumor was not cancer, it was an old tumor and Ken had had it for a long time and it was entwined in the spinal column not just attached to it. Therefore, it was inoperable. In addition, no known chemotherapy affected the tumor. Dr. Brito did pull it away from the spinal column and relieved the pressure.
After a month in the hospital, Ken was sent home with pain medication. He started therapy and we were seeing a dramatic improvement in his legs. His mobility was improving. He was able to use the shower and could transfer back and forth between a wheelchair and bed. He was able to transfer from his wheelchair to our jeep and resume activities such as men’s breakfast, church and Friday cantina.
In March 2014, we took a trip to Florida to visit our son. He started to fall. Upon our return, the therapy was no longer working and it was getting harder to transfer him from bed to wheelchair or wheelchair to jeep. Suddenly within 3 days, he became blind and his sense of balance was gone. He became bedridden.
The hospital supplied the drugs he needed on a monthly basis. Because of his handicap, he was not required to go to his appointments. They let me do it for him. Ken died on March 22, 2015 at 9:00 pm from the effects of the tumor and infection.
Throughout his care everyone we met from the ambulance drivers to Dr. Mateo the director of IMSS treated Ken and I with respect even though t here was a language problem. My Spanish is very limited and I had trouble communicating with non-English speaking personnel. He was a person not a number on a medical chart. By purchasing this insurance, everything else was free including doctor visits, drugs, and hospital stays. When he needed to go to Cancun for follow up visits with Dr. Brito, we were transported by IMSS by ambulance at no charge. I have nothing but admiration for the IMSS system and the people who work there. I have no problem recommending this insurance to anyone, Mexican local or foreigner.
San Jose JC Funeral Home
By Joyce Larsen
My husband died on Sunday, March 22 at approximately 9:00 p.m. His decision was to have his body cremated. I used the San Jose JC Funeral Home for the cremation. They picked up the body at the hospital that night and transported the body to Playa the next morning, (Monday).The ashes were returned to Cozumel Late Monday night, and I picked them up the next morning.
They did the paperwork for the Mexican death certificate and had two certified copies of the Mexican death certificate and everything I needed to take to the consulate to get the US death certificate. In my opinion, they were worth every penny I paid. I thought the cost was very reasonable. If you live here, you get a local rate. They made a stressful situation much better and I would highly recommend using them.
Have a Blessed Easter Week Everyone!
