Melaque Trip Report
Melaque is a beach town, part of what is known as the "costalegre." The people seem very friendly and pleasant and happy, as advertised. Some say it is on account of all the beer and tequila they consume, but that is not true because I've met a few who do not drink and are happy, nonetheless.The costalegre extends from Puerto Vallarta in the north to Barra de Navidad at the southern end. I can give you the precise geographical limits with total confidence and no fear of contradiction. Do you know why? It is because the name is a registered trademark and can only be used in the state of Jalisco. (These clever Mexicans!) North of Puerto Vallarta is the "Riviera Nayarit." for example. When I head south, perhaps I will report the catchy name that the people of Colima have undoubtedly invented to entice the poor, innocent, unwary Canadians.
Anyway, I've been here a week and am starting to warm up to the place, even though I don't surf and I'm pretty sure I would get bored lounging in a beach chair all day. It gets pretty warm in the middle of the daytime but the nights are fine for sleeping. The water temperature is supposed to be eighty degrees (those are American degrees, not Canadian). Some things are more expensive here and others are quite reasonable. For example, a kilo of carnitas is 190 pesos and straw hats are outrageously expensive, starting at 85 pesos. But there are several competing laundry services, which appears to have kept the price at a very attractive 10 pesos per kilo, and you can rent a weed-whacker for a twenty-four hour period at only $14.60 American money. (But make sure they give you enough cord or you will have to go back to the rental place and demand more.)
The local government (the delegacion) is pretty much worthless, everyone agrees. The fountain in the town square is bone dry and the clock in the clock tower doesn't run. The garbagemen will empty the barrels, but if there is a bag of trash on the ground next to the barrel, they will not bend over and throw the bag in the truck! They must be unionized, I guess.
There is a lot of work for me here, but the situation is not hopeless. Little by little, step by step, I think I will be able to drag this town forward into the twenty-first century.
Edited by: 2368
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Thanks 2368,Reminds me of a pleasant couple days we spent in Melaque a few yers ago. Got invited to a local wedding an dhad a great time, eating fresh ceviche on the beach, found that the swimming was best on the west-side of the bay where the waves were smaller (opposite side from Barra de Navidad).
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Keith--I hope you're wrong.Sparks--1) I've got a map from the tourist office and Cihuatlan looks as if it might be inland a little too far for me to consider it to be on the coast. But I admit I haven't been there yet. If I'm wrong I will make a point to mention it in a future report, along with my efforts to aid their struggling tourism industry, which I am pretty sure can benefit from my expertise because, although I've heard of Melaque and Barra de Navidad before, Cihuatlan does not appear to be a place that is in the forefront of public consciouness when the Canadian travel agents are doing their promotional work for the "costalegre."
2)--You may be correct about the garbagemen. Or maybe the Canadians are just whiners, and the garbagemen really do pick up the bags on the ground except for the ones that have been torn and scattered by dogs or raccoons. I have no first hand knowledge and am just reporting what I've been told by the crybaby Canadians.
3)--My volunteer work was the bit with the weed-whacker. Nobody asked me, and I did it "at cost," 180 for renting the machine and another 20 pesos for gasoline, in exchange for four nights' free rent. My labor and the sweat of my brow was the donation. The campground of the Ejido Emiliano Zapata is now ready for the Christmas influx of tourists. Thanks to me. And it is a good thing I took the initiative because (apparently) every decision made by the Ejido (such as spending 200 lousy pesos for an extra trash can ) must be voted on by 194 people and approved by a majority. And the thought of cleaning up their surroundings seems not to have occurred to any of my (Canadian) neighbors.
4)--Wait, Sparks, just a second...I probably should have asked before this point....you're not Canadian, are you?
Cascadebob--that's exactly where I'm at. As far as you can get from Barra de Navidad. In the "low rent" trailer park!
