Surfing Melaque Costalegre

Surfing (on long-boards) on the Melaque side of the Bahia de Navidad is rare because we mostly have a steep beach break. The only exceptions are during the rainy season when sandbars are created from the outflow. This video was taken after the opening of the Lagoon last summer when there was enough sand deposited to make some good surfing for 3-4 days

Peaceful Lagoon

A peaceful afternoon over Laguna del Tule, Villa Obregon - Melaque

Butterflies and Flowers in Pinal Villa

I guess I could have tried 50 times more to get the butterflies in focus but I had to go talk to our electrician to check on the best routing for house wiring. The lot next door is full of these wildflowers that grow to 6-7 feet and attract 4-5 different types of butterflies ... but no more rain in this comming season, all will soon dry up

Flowers on the lot nextdoor near Melaque, Costalegre

Cloudy day from El Mirador

Mari had been feeding a construction crew from Guadalajara that were working on a fancy house just past the Mirador parking area. Hoping to see what they were up to I drove up only to find them all heading off for lunch (comida). Always great views from the Mirador and this is an easy drive or walk ... so put it on your list of things to do.

Melaque from Mirador

Melaque from the Mirador

Looking north/west towards the house construction

Isla de Navidad in the background

Bienvenidos a Melaque

I guess it had to come eventually since so many other towns have similar welcome signs (monoliths). This will be the largest one in the immediate area of the Costalegre that I know of. This is on the west end of Melaque at the entrance that is a continuation of Highway 80.

High water in the Lagoon

I'd heard the Laguna de Tules was filling up again after about 3 days of steady rain from Tropical Depression Lowell as it passed by. Sure enough, the docks along the Malecon (andador or walkway) are about 6 inches under water. The boat is doing OK so maybe a floating dock next time.

On another note, I just read that the Laguna de Tules walkway project failed to get proper environmental permission from the Federal Government. Thats the reason it's closed and not because it's starting to fall apart - which it is.

Dock under water

Looking back towards more rain clouds

Melaque, Costalegre, Jalisco, Mexico

Morning clouds

Morning clouds over the Bay - Melaque, Jalisco Mexico

Primaria Juan Escutia has a new stove

Here's the story

There are actually two schools on the campus (common for Mexico schools). Virginia Torres is the morning section and Juan Escutia is afternoon. Each section has a coopertiva of the parents and separate kitchens. Kind of strange but that's the way it is.

The Juan Escutia section does not have enough support to get a new (or good used) stove. Each kitchen is rented out by the school to someone but there is not enough money in it without a varied menu which requires a stove.

So we took up a collection even using PayPal and got a great response to buy our $3100 peso stove. It will be delivered later today. The kitchen is not quite ready so it will sit in the directors office for maybe a week.

Muebles Hogar in Melaque has good prices

The MABE brand stove with quality burners
Melaque, Jalisco Mexico

Tropical storm Douglas

Tropical storm Douglas formed off Mexico on Wednesday, threatening to strengthen and dump heavy rain to a large swathe of its Pacific coastline. Packing maximum sustained winds of near 40 mph (65 kph) and higher gusts, Douglas was centered 245 miles (395 km) west southwest of the resort of Manzanillo in Colima state, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said.

Douglas was moving northwesterly at 8 mph (13 kph) and headed generally toward the Baja California peninsula, where the Los Cabos resort is located, but was not expected to make landfall on its current track.

"Heavy rains associated with Douglas could affect portions of the southwestern coast of Mexico between Lazaro Cardenas and Puerto Vallarta," the center said.

Three days of rain in Melaque but the ground was not saturated so there was no flooding. They did open the lagoon to the ocean (first time this year) so the bay was full of debris and lirio

West end beach restaurants and panagas


West end beach where the canal opens

Melaque, Costalegre, Jalisco, Mexico

Melaque sewer treatment plant

I finally found the plant for 'agua sucia' out behind the high-school. After trying almost every side road it suddenly appeared. I was going to take fotos only from the outside until one of the two managers offered me to drive in and they gave me a tour explaining each part of the process. Settlement, filter, aeration and evaporation. I left with 3 mangos from their tree. Nice guys and I think they are proud of the plant.

It handles, Ranchito, Melaque, Villa Obregon and Jaluco - not Barra de Navidad

Counting the Welts

Counting the Welts
Dealing with No-See-Ums (hequenes) in Mexico

by Kate Nelson
Scripps Howard News Service
How do I know it's summer? Let me count the welts.

Up and down my arms. Around my ankles. Along my hairline. In a particularly difficult-to-scratch point on my back. And clustered around my belly button.

The "no-see-ums" are at it again. This year's twist was the bite that caused my left forearm to swell up for one day before festering into quarter-sized blisters. Lovely.

The itching sensation of each no-see-um bite can last for a week, and fighting the urge to scratch can turn your brain into a searing mass of agony. You will lose sleep. You will snap at co-workers. You will develop scars that can last for months.

Biting midges of barely discernible heft wreak this havoc all across the Southwest. Dubbed "no-see-ums" in some areas, they're called "hequenes" in Mexico and punkies in Britain. The females, seeking blood to complete their reproductive cycle, feed on pets, birds and, tragically, gardeners.

No-see-ums thrive in coastal areas, so beware if you're a besieged gardener who dreams of getting away from the bugs by snorkeling in the tropics. Yet despite their coastal leanings, they've also learned to like canyons and the shifty topsoil of the desert. In the booming cities of the West, that means they get the best of both worlds: shifty topsoil and lots of blood to suck.

A survival guide:

Kill and repel them:
Hummingbirds can eat hundreds of no-see-ums a day, so hang a few feeders near the nasties' hangouts.

Consider getting a B12 injection to alter the flavor of your blood. Adding brewer's yeast to your diet can accomplish a similar effect. Burn citronella candles or incense. Buy a variety of aromatic oils and lotions to slather on your skin. Among them: Avon Skin-So-Soft; the essential oils of tea tree, lavender or pennyroyal; and a pungent concoction called Buzz Away, containing cedarwood, eucalyptus, lemongrass and peppermint oils, available at health-food stores in wipes, sprays and skin patches. (Smith & Hawken sells a similar mix of eucalyptus, rosemary, bay and olive oils called Bug Off.)

Be aware that some commercial repellents feature the chemicals Deet or Permethrin, which carry health risks for children. And pregnant women should never use pennyroyal.

Some American Indians recommend smearing yourself with bear grease. Navajos fill a tin can with sheep dung, set it on fire and stand in the smoke. Hey, if the biting gets bad enough, give it a whirl.

Treat the wounds:
Stock up on one or all of these: Calamine lotion, Benadryl, creams that contain cortisone or menthol, Anbesol gum-pain reliever, Chloraseptic throat soother, a pocket clip called After-Bite, and an herbal extract called Itch-Away that contains the leaves of grindelia flower, plantain and witch hazel.

I've heard that Old Spice stick deodorant can ease the pain, as can a paste made from meat tenderizer. And never underestimate the power of ice packs and a bottle of your favorite liquor.

Be patient:
No-see-ums are indulging in a breeding frenzy right now. Soon, they'll die off or at least thin out. Afterward, you'll still be here, welts and all.

(Kate Nelson is a master gardener in Albuquerque, N.M. Send e-mail to knelson@abqtrib.com.)

Biting midges, Culicoides furens (Poey), are also known as "no-see-ums" in the U.S., "hequenes" in Mexico, and "punkies" in Britain

Buzz Away, which contains cedarwood, eucalyptus, lemongrass and peppermint oils, is effective against midges.


Melaque

Early evening fotos of Melaque

Early evening is the best time for good light and people are out and about compared to mornings - late risers that Mexicans are. These are just a few taken a few nights ago with all the Gringos gone

Setting up on 'Taco Row'

Tacos in the Mercado

Tienda de Plasticos

Paleteria - Ice Cream

Tacos by the sea

Melaque, Costalegre Mexico

Celebration of San Patricio - Saint Patrick's

The Saint Patrick's day celebration here is always on the the 17th but Easter moves around. This year they run together making more or less a 3 week holiday in Melaque. Below are a few fotos of the fireworks and the carnival that I took the kids to on the 15th. Really a fancier display this year than ever before with the 'sky-rockets' and 10 toritos. We left before the toritos (guys running thru the crowd covered with fireworks going off) because we were cold and the little kids were afraid of them. Keeping your distance is really a smart idea

Just one of the many ways to spend a lot of money


What a relief to have the kids calm down and sit for a half hour


Part of the castillo fireworks on the plaza


Some real fireworks this year - above a 'corona' and the moon


Some Castillo fireworks from last year


San Patricio, Melaque, Saint Patrick, Costalegre, Jalisco

Melaque Skim Contest 2008

Con dos días validos de competencia y con participantes provenientes de Cabo san Lucas, Acapulco, Manzanillo, Puerto escondido, Guadalajara y Laguna Beach, se dio cita a la cuarta edición del skim contest de Melaque Jalisco.
X3M Melaque Skim Contest 2008

x3m.com.mx