Where in the world is Ellen Fields?

MÉRIDA, YUCATÁN – Merida’s “expat community” has in recent weeks been rocked by revelations posted online by Romero Books (https://romerobooks.wordpress.com/) – a blog which, as per its own “About” page, is writing “Stories… ripped from the headlines and told from the perspective of the people who are the protagonists… these are true stories of Americans run amok south of the border.”

Sounds dramatic? Well it’s been quite a ride so far, with the promise of more to come. One of the main characters in the stories is “Gringa Zapatista”, aka “Helen Shields”, proprietor of a fictitious website called “Living in Yucatán”.  Perhaps a complete coincidence that Ellen Fields, proprietor of an actual website called “Yucatan Living” seems to have followed a remarkably similar path over the last 9 years?

Perhaps… but I doubt it.

Chapter nine of the “Gringa Zapatista” saga revealed that the fictitious “Helen Shields” fled Mérida in 2011, following a fourth citizen’s report of her engagement in immoral activities endangering the welfare of Mexican children, which triggered a federal investigation into sex tourism and the activities of the proprietors of the fictitious website “Living in Yucatán”. Following an overland trip to California, the fictitious “Helen Shields” set herself up as a masseuse. Perhaps a complete coincidence that Ellen Fields, proprietor of “Yucatan Living” appears to have departed Mérida in 2011, making an overland trip to California, and has not been seen in town, except fleetingly, since?

Perhaps… but I doubt it.

If, as appears to be the case, Ellen Fields and her husband James have not been resident in Mérida since 2011, it seems to be at the very least somewhat dishonest that they continue to publish their articles on “daily life in Mérida” as if they are here, experiencing “daily life in Mérida” for themselves.

I set out to locate Ms. Fields, and set the story straight. I advised her I had some interesting information to share with her, which, she responded to say, she was eagerly waiting to receive. My initial email requested a meeting at her office in Mérida, however only served to confirm that she is not in México at this time; in fact she openly admitted she “wouldn’t be back until October”.  I dug a little deeper, and noted that her Facebook page lists her as a CMT at Plus Massage in California, since February 2014.

The Plus Massage website certainly makes it appear that she is living full time in California: http://www.plus-massage.com/. Sources tell me that James Fields is in Las Vegas, although I was unable to independently confirm this.

I confronted Ms. Fields with this evidence; unfortunately her initial eagerness to talk suddenly vanished, and since then, my emails have not been returned.

Where in the world is Ellen Fields? Certainly at time of writing, she is in California, where it would seem she has spent much of the last 4 years. Does this qualify her as an expert on “daily life in Mérida”? It would seem from chatter around town that her loyal readers are beginning to have their doubts.