Melaque on the Costalegre

Float my boat

noreply@blogger.com (sparks_mex) — Fri, 27 Oct 2017 01:05:00 +0000

Well the big plan was to refloat the Los Llanitos in one piece or in parts and drag it out into the bay to make an underwater reef for divers. I think it is well beyond any salvage or moving. The rear end broke off a couple weeks ago and I doubt it's even worth metal salvage. Oh well, if it ever settles down where it is maybe diving there would work.

New Delegacion, INM and Police offices

noreply@blogger.com (sparks_mex) — Thu, 03 Aug 2017 00:06:00 +0000

The whole corner is just about down and they have a temporary office on Gomez Farias #55. That is between the beach and Centro de Salud.

If they plan a 2 story I assume a new foundation making this a six month+ project. That could easily affect INM VISA processes and paying for utilities.

El Greñas Botanero

noreply@blogger.com (sparks_mex) — Tue, 04 Apr 2017 21:56:00 +0000

Neighbors and friends opened this place a little over a month ago. It's located about halfway between the highway 80 Pemex and Ranchito on the right. Really nice big place if you like Rustico. Surrounded by palms and other trees and flowers. We went over just to see and grandma Maria had not seen it. Yare is working in the kitchen and there were so many people on Sunday she worked late. Came back with broken fingernails and was so tired she didn't go to school on Monday. Crazy busy on weekends with live music of the Rancho type. Go on a weekday if you want to check it out

Milo fields in Pinal Villa

noreply@blogger.com (sparks_mex) — Wed, 29 Mar 2017 17:46:00 +0000

Never had this much milo being grown around here. It's just cattle feed but must be valuable. I would like to see the harvester some day. First foto is a young crop with no flowers yet. Second foto is an older field that has been more than half harvested. You can see the line where the harvester stopped.

Prices at Super Hawaii

noreply@blogger.com (sparks_mex) — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 14:03:00 +0000

We went all over Melaque yesterday looking for my favorite no-sugar yogurt and no stores had any. Lorena finally suggested Hawaii. I decided to hold my breath and go for it. I remember 6-8 months go I paid 28 pesos when all other stores were 25 but I could handle that. She came back with it and told me she had paid 34. That is not a little high ... it's highway robbery. Never again!.

Melaque's new "sign"

noreply@blogger.com (sparks_mex) — Sat, 18 Mar 2017 15:26:00 +0000

New sign on the plaza

I saw this for the first time yesterday and assume it's been up for the whole festival which ended yesterday. I thought only large towns around Mexico were getting these but they are getting around to the small ones

Locals are unhappy saying it should be San Patricio and Melaque is the West end near the old hotel

Rosa Morada - hidden away

noreply@blogger.com (sparks_mex) — Wed, 25 Jan 2017 15:57:00 +0000

Friends are staying there and I was quite surprised since it's way out by the Prepa. I went out to visit and took Yare out for her job interview. Yare is my 14-year-old neighbor and this is her first job. Today is also her first day. She goes to school in the afternoon and works in the morning. She'll be cleaning, making beds, doing laundry and a little babysitting for a 2-year-old. Hope it goes well for her.

CAM Fundraiser Jan 25th

noreply@blogger.com (sparks_mex) — Mon, 23 Jan 2017 16:57:00 +0000

At the ocean end of Alvaro Obregon. Live music. food and auction. Extremely good cause and great people. Starts at 4PM

Bike-a-Thon this Sunday - Benefit Pro Animal

noreply@blogger.com (sparks_mex) — Wed, 11 Jan 2017 14:41:00 +0000

Join us for our fourth annual Bike-A-Thon on Sunday January 15. We start at the Melaque Jardin at 09:00AM. Choose to ride the short 7K route or opt for the longer 14K route. This is not a race, so come out for an enjoyable ride on country roads. Entry fee is 250 pesos, and you receive a great event t-shirt. After the event, we will also choose the winner of our Brand New 18-speed Mountain Bike (tickets are only 50 pesos)

Pre-registration is available now at the Telcel by the Playa Trailer Park in Melaque, Mi Mascota Veterinarian in Barra, or with Sharon at Water Aerobics. Register now to have a better selection of sizes for your t-shirt! You can also register the day of the event.

Sandia time in Pinal Villa

noreply@blogger.com (sparks_mex) — Sat, 31 Dec 2016 17:52:00 +0000

Lots of people working in the field either weeding, picking or watering. Haven't seen any kids carrying watermelon around the neighborhood trying to sell them like in years past. Will keep my eyes out.

Papaya for 10 pesos

noreply@blogger.com (sparks_mex) — Fri, 30 Dec 2016 18:49:00 +0000

Glen and I were sitting on the beach yesterday at Tito's when this young kid came by selling papayas. He wanted 10 pesos each for them so yeah I wanted one. The people next door had just bought one and the kid still had 10 pesos in his hand when he talked to me. All I had was a twenty so I made sure we did an exchange because I thought he could very well walk away with 20. Not a big deal but better to keep him honest.

Cotton in Mexico and Pacific coast

noreply@blogger.com (sparks_mex) — Thu, 22 Dec 2016 21:23:00 +0000

Someone said it was Kapok but Mexicans know it as Algodon

Cotton in Mexico and Pacific coast

We were over at Centro de Salud in Jaluco for one of the kids. While there Lori noticed what looked a cotton plant except this was 10 feet tall. Having never seen a cotton plant except driving by cotton fields in the south I had my doubts. When I got home I checked the Internet and sure enough, it was. I cut and pasted a few bits of info I found on Cotton, Mexico and it’s history. Always something interesting around the corner.

[Comment from reader] – A friend who is 3rd generation “Melaque” born and raised told us that the entire area was once home to cotton fields. The crop was profitable but risky (depending on weather, etc). That is why eventually the locals diversified into current crops which were not as profitable but far more reliable!

The greatest diversity of wild cotton species is found in Mexico

G. hirsutum

The oldest evidence of Gossypium hirsutum in Mesoamerica comes from the Tehuacan valley and has been dated between 3400 and 2300 BC. In different caves of the area, archaeologists affiliated to the project of Richard MacNeish found remains of fully domesticated examples of this cotton. The Tehuacán Valley lies in southern Mexico in the state of Puebla near the region where maize (corn) was first domesticated 7,000 years ago.

Recent studies have allowed the comparison of bolls and cotton seeds from excavation in Guila Naquitz Cave, Oaxaca, with living examples of wild and cultivated G. hirsutum punctatum, showing that they might come from the same species, originally domesticated in the Yucatan Peninsula.

In different eras and among different Mesoamerican cultures, cotton was a highly demanded good and a precious exchange item. Maya and Aztec merchants traded cotton with other luxury items, and nobles adorned themselves with preciously woven and colored mantles.

Pro Animal Melaque

noreply@blogger.com (sparks_mex) — Fri, 16 Dec 2016 16:45:00 +0000

We hope to see you at Restaurant Esmeralda in Melaque for Bingo & Silent Auction. You do not need to pay Bingo Admission to bid on our Auction items. We have some really great things this year, including:

1 Night Stay at Grand Isla Navidad Resort
MexEco Tour to Cuzalapa Coffee Cooperative (for 2)
Whole Chocolate Cake from Vainilla Pimienta
Authentic Homemade Lasagna from Hugo
Dental Cleaning, Optician Services, Massage, Salon Services
Handmade Textiles, Purses, Jewelry
Meals at local Eateries
Wines
Artwork & Artesanias
Puzzles
Pet toys, fashion items, life vest
And much, much more!

Auction bidding will close by 2:30PM. Bingo play starts at 1:00PM. We need your support to continue our mission of helping the animals most in need, and providing free spay & neuter to our community with three annual campaigns.

Visit Us On Facebook

Cleaning the beach

noreply@blogger.com (sparks_mex) — Wed, 14 Dec 2016 17:01:00 +0000

The opening of the lagoon really made a mess of the beaches around the bay. This is west Melaque and don't know if they are doing everything. Barra had a lot more lirio and that beach may be harder to clean. Then there is the Barra lagoon that will take a different kind of machine

Lirio on the beach

noreply@blogger.com (sparks_mex) — Sat, 10 Dec 2016 19:36:00 +0000

Villa Obregon beach

Barra's main beach

The previous post shows water leaving the lagoon. These two fotos are of the beaches in Melaque and Barra de Navidad. A whole lot more in Barra than Melaque and it's filling up the canals in the Barra lagoon. Must have opened it due to the very heavy rain we had a little over aa week ago.

Opening Laguna del Tule

noreply@blogger.com (sparks_mex) — Fri, 09 Dec 2016 16:41:00 +0000

After that huge rain, it must have filled the lagoon and they opened it yesterday morning. We were on the beach at Tito's and could see some of the lirio in the bay. Wasn't any near the West end but there probably is today. It's always a huge project to clean the beaches after an opening.

Festival Gastronomico

noreply@blogger.com (sparks_mex) — Wed, 07 Dec 2016 18:52:00 +0000

This Friday, the 9th on the Melaque plaza from 5PM to 11. Restaurants from around the area will display their best seafood dishes. Looks like a few other things as well.

Getting ready to plant

noreply@blogger.com (sparks_mex) — Fri, 02 Dec 2016 21:44:00 +0000

Farmland in Pinal Villa that has been too wet to plant for almost two years has finally dried out. Two very large sections look like this now. A large section of Milo closer to town was just left to die last year and I assume it may be next. Crops here are tomatoes, chilies, tomatillos, watermelon, papayas, and corn only when it is shared with other crops.

Fund raiser for Centro de Salud

noreply@blogger.com (sparks_mex) — Thu, 01 Dec 2016 17:13:00 +0000

This is a fundraiser to help the Melaque Centro de Salud. Funds from the government are nowhere near enough to keep these centres running the way they should.

This is going to be a very Mexican event but will be fun with music and dancing. Even if you can't go maybe buy a ticket and give it to a neighbour and help out this centre that has helped so many over the years.

Tickets can be purchased with Dr. Oscar Rubio in the mornings directly in the Centro de Salud, or if you want to come by my office I can call him to come here with tickets.

The No Name Cafe

noreply@blogger.com (sparks_mex) — Tue, 29 Nov 2016 23:11:00 +0000

Must be sun glare

Some friends that live in West Melaque told me about this place and I have seen it before but thought it smaller. They said a good sized menu with good food and good prices. I want to try it someday but no idea their hours. They were closed at 2 PM. There is also no name posted anywhere. There is no glass in those doors so I stuck my camera inside.

Christmas flowers

noreply@blogger.com (sparks_mex) — Sun, 27 Nov 2016 18:17:00 +0000

Mostly Poinsettia but they have a little bit of everything including herbs. This small vivero is located on the street across from Lubin's abarrotes.

New library for the Prepa

noreply@blogger.com (sparks_mex) — Tue, 22 Nov 2016 21:10:00 +0000

The road into Pinal Villa is so bad we now cut across to near the Prepa. Lorena said we should stop and look because the last time we saw it, it was just a big hole in the ground. Good to see the government spending money on something important. Supposed to have a few classrooms a well.

Paving Hidalgo

noreply@blogger.com (sparks_mex) — Mon, 07 Nov 2016 17:36:00 +0000

Little by little Melaque streets are getting paved. This is the last two or three blocks heading toward the lagoon. This will be done in Adoquin (fitted cement bricks). Lots, lots more to go though

Villa Obregon's first Day of the Dead celebration

noreply@blogger.com (sparks_mex) — Fri, 28 Oct 2016 19:33:00 +0000

Villa Obregon will have it's first Day of the Dead celebration tomorrow, Saturday on it's plaza. Should make for a very busy weekend with the Melaque plaza also full of displays.

Day of the dead displays

noreply@blogger.com (sparks_mex) — Wed, 26 Oct 2016 15:53:00 +0000

The yearly CECYTEJ display of Dia de los Muertos will be on the Melaque Plaza this next Friday. It's a little more spectacular at night but should be ready in the afternoon. A must see