Fishing out of Melaque

Fishing from a 14' Zodiac

A guy from the west end trailer park asked Ron and I to go out fishing in his Zodiac the other morning. We only got one strike but a smaller Zodiac came back with a 24lb Dorado. We motored up just past Tamarindo and around the small islands there. Beautiful scenery and weather for an over all great time. We saw 2 whales in Tamarindo Bay but they were too far away for fotos in a bouncing boat.

If you are a fisher person or not - I suggesting at least taking a boat ride along the coast. It's beautiful.


Leaving port early


Rocks offshore from Tamarindo


Another fisherman

Out the back of our boat

Rock and boat off Tamarindo

Rocks at west end of Bahia de Navidad

24lb Dorado (Mahi-mahi) caught from a 10' Zodiac

Virgin of Guadalupe Parade Melaque, Mexico

Virgin of Guadalupe Parade is Mexico’s most colorful nationwide annual festival, the celebration of the appearance of the Virgin of Guadalupe, begins on December 1 and this year promises to be particularly significant as the four hundred and seventy fifth anniversary of the event. The final event is on the 12th

They've had day time parades every day and last night they sang in the dark somewhat like Christmas caroling

The Virgin of Guadalupe is Mexico's patron saint. Each year in this town, as in the rest of Mexico, major celebrations and peregrinaciones (pilgrimages) begin on December 1st to culminate with the most spectacular fireworks display on the 12th, the Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The traditions surrounding the Virgin of Guadalupe began in the year 1531, on a Saturday before dawn, when a 57-year old Aztec Indian who had recently converted to Christianity and been baptized Juan Diego, was getting ready to go to church and do some errands. Juan came to a hill called Tepeyac, near what would become the heart of Mexico City. He heard beautiful birds singing. Next, he heard a voice from the mount calling his name. He saw a beautiful brown-skinned lady in an aura of blazing light, and she revealed to him that she was Holy Mary, the told him that She wanted him to tell the Bishop to erect a shrine in her name in the specific spot where She stood.

Possibly the Virgin

The costumes are of the Indios of original era

Another group

A young one

The main group

There they go

While the devil circles working his magic

Mexican Revolution Parade

Kindergarden kids in Melaque, Mexico

Marcos is 5 and goes to the kindergarden (Jardin de Niños) a block away. They had their parade the day before (November 19th) in our neighborhood rather than go into town and compete with the older kids. Mari helped dish out the Pozole and I took the camera. They marched around a 6 block area and even picked up a police escort on the way back.

Marcos in the red and white with friends

Trying to get some of them ready

Marcos leading the parade

Police escort on the way back

Kinder kids in the 2002 parade in el centro

Melaque lending library and book exchange

Cuba Libro

Thanks to Leone who donated a room in her home for this. Barbara was helping 2 days a week before she left for up north. Now Leone is doing by herself until there are a few more volunteers. Summer hours are 4-6 weekdays. I'm unsure what the winter hours will be but will depend on help.

You will find this at the east end of Villa Obregon, a long 4 blocks from the beach, on the corner of Primaveras and Miguel Hidalgo. That is on the edge of the lagoon. You can't miss it if you find the fountain. Another way to give directions is to follow the Tianguis street to the lagoon.

Bring books to leave, exchange and/or offer your help

Looking across the fountain at the little store on the corner

The books - it's small but the best in the area for English books

Tormento (Hurricane) Lane in Melaque

Melaque was basically flooded. The canal/river on the west end was covering the carretera and at it's banks down by the ocean. The plaza had over a foot of water and over by Herraduras over 2 feet. The military base is flooded, there are over 100 people in the Primary school until the water subsides. The secondary school was under water - of course no school.

The main problem here, besides lots of rain, is the canal for drainage is way to small as well as the bridge that crosses hyway 200. The bridge got clogged with debris from up stream and acted as a dam - spilling water into downtown Melaque and a few residential areas. I certainly hope this will be the next construction project in the area. Priorities FOLKS !!!!

Aguacate (town nearby) was evacuated and the carretera closed in Melaque, Arroyo Seco and just south of Cihuatlan near the bridge.

They opened up the lagoon to the ocean because it was getting full and during high tides waves were coming over the beach into the lagoon.

For a full set of pictures - Click here


Downtown near Herraduras and the canal

Intersection of Hyway 200 and 80 where it was closed

The Plaza

Ocean side of the opening to the lagoon

Lagoon and ocean at the same level

Crocodiles (cocodrilos) in Melaque

For the last month, maybe two, we've been having a night visitor that leaves tracks like those below. We knew it was a crocodile because we see them in the lagoon all the time. What we didn't know was she had laid her eggs a few months earlier and was now checking on the progress every night. In the meantime we put up a fence across the back of the yard to keep her out.

So last night she must have heard them 'croaking' and pushed her way under the side fence to dig them up. I found the hole in the morning with lots of egg shells scattered around so maybe a number of them made it to the lagoon last night. While standing next to the hole I heard some 'croaking' (or chirping) and thought there might be more. We dug up seven and that's them in the bucket. I used gloves to not be nipped and didn't want to leave a human smell.

We decided to put them down on the edge of the lagoon and let mom come and find them - and she did. I checked an hour later and she was there but swam out 50 yards or so because I was there. Our Mexican neighbor says mom will stay with them for about 15 days and then they are on their own.

Crocodylus acutus -- is the type in La Manzanilla so we assume ours are the same

Baby Crock's Chirping Sound -- The sound I heard from the nest (a WAV file)

Tail and foot tracks across the yard

Mom's entry/exit tracks from weeks ago


The nest she dug up the night before

I think that's seven of them in the bucket

babies down by the edge of the lagoon

Mom just off shore waiting for us to go away

Four weeks later one of the babies - about a meter long

First big surf of the Summer Season

I heard about the big surf south of us and could hear the pounding from my house - so decided to go check out Bigotes restaurant/bar and see if they were loosing any chairs or people. Waves were big and they were underwater a few times but basically it was just a ring side seat to watch the action and the local skim boarders.

First Melaque big surf

Is that snow - Bigotes watering hole under water


Looking up the beach thru the mist from the waves

Skim boarding locals hitting some of the smaller waves

Another one

Melaque - almost Sunset

I went up on El Mirador (the lookout) yesterday around 7pm hoping for a sunset but I forgot the orientation of the bay. You can easily drive up a dirt road to this outlook which is also used by the locals as 'Lovers Lane'. Right in the middle of my sunset was a large mountain and not the expanse of ocean I was expecting. So anyway - the light is good that time of evening so here are a few pictures.

Melaque

Mouth of the bay


Rocks?

Part of the mountain in the way


Back down on the beach on the way home

Skim Board Surfing Contest Melaque - November 2005

Announcement from the CaboSkim Web Site

Skimmex.com and Caboskim.com together are organizating the first Mexican skim contest. The competition will be in Melaque Jalisco, a place located on the pacific side of Mexico about 4 hours away from Puerto Vallarta. This is a Mexican spot with a lot of shore break potential. The exact date of the contest hasn't been confirmed yet, because we are still working on the organization of the event and looking for sponsors, but the contest will be in October 2005

Skim Board Contest Poster

Poster from CaboSkim

Here's the two Web Sites - both with Vidoes of the event and pictures

CaboSkim Web Site

New photo from June 2006

Tianguis Day Melaque

The Tianguis on the Costalegre is a traveling market. It starts every Tuesday in Cihuatlan, Wednesday in Melaque, Thursday in Barra and Friday in La Manzanilla. Today is Wednesday and the Tianguis has moved to my end of town due to the sewer and water construction going on on the other side of town. Great assortment of stuff although the sellers that have plastics and kitchen wares all seem to buy from the same distributor. Still it's fun and you just might find that thing that you really didn't need.


Lots of people - and lots of Gringos durning the winter


They all have the same plastic ware


Herbs and Teas


Colorful stuff


The wiggly heads


Clothes, beauty creams and miracles


Fresas