The area is growing

The area is growing, at least on the Barra/Aguacate side. Toward Barra from the old Infonavit homes and across from the cemetery is the beginning of this new development. I've heard close to 1000 new homes but that is second hand and will probably be in stages.

The old main road, which has been almost unusable in the summer rains, now has a new gravel bed and I assume will be paved before long. I suggest you use the dirt airstrip adjoining for the time being - very rough gravel.

Beginning of the possibly 1000 new Infonavit homes

New roadbed for the old Barra Road

Barra de Navidad

The Galleon Trade

The Galleon Trade
By Floro L. Mercene
April 5, 2009, 9:59pm

More than 40 years after Magellan set foot on the Philippines, Spain sent an expedition to formally settle the islands. The expedition led by Miguel Lopez de Legaspi, a businessman who made a fortune in Mexico, was composed of about 300 men, mostly Mexicans. It left the small town of Barra de Navidad in Jalisco in 1565 and landed in Cebu three months later. Legaspi later moved to Manila and founded it as a city in 1570.

While in Cebu, Legaspi sent the galleon San Pablo back to Mexico to obtain supplies. It was commanded by his grandson, Felipe Salcedo, with a famous navigator, Andres de Urdaneta, as second in command.

Under Urdaneta’s expert guidance, the San Pablo was able to reach Acapulco in a record 100 days, the first successful crossing of the Pacific Ocean from east to west.

The eastward route pioneered by Urdaneta was to serve as the basis for the establishment of a trade monopoly by Spain in what we now know as the galleon trade.

It was the oldest shipping line that ever existed, traveling over the longest and most dangerous ocean route, from Manila to the Mexican seaport of Acapulco, and lasting for almost 250 years, from 1575 to 1815.

Almost every year, two galleons left Manila for Mexico loaded with exotic goods from Asia, mostly from China and Japan, to be sold in Mexico and Europe and countries in South America, such as Chile and Peru.

Barra before, during and after Hurricane Lane

Hurricane Lane was the strongest Pacific hurricane to make landfall in Mexico since Hurricane Kenna of 2002. The thirteenth named storm, ninth hurricane, and sixth major hurricane of the 2006 Pacific hurricane season, Lane developed from a tropical wave on September 13 to the south of Mexico. It moved northwestward parallel to the coast of Mexico, and steadily intensified in an area conducive to further strengthening.

These fotos were sent to me by "Barra Jorge" as a before, during and after series of the hurricane and what it's like along the Costalegre in the summer months. The first two fotos were taken at Casa Chips restaurant and the last from the Malecon

Casa Chips Before

Casa Chips during

After - with dirty water and significant loss of beach

Carnaval Costalegre - 2009

Click for larger copy

Carnaval Costalegre - 2009 - Barra de Navidad

Costalegre Rotary Chili Cookoff

Last Saturday was the Chili Cookoff for the local Rotary to raise funds for some of their projects. How much they raised and for what is still unknown but it was a fun party with music and performances from the Ballet Xalixco, the local Folklorico group. This was the most gringos I've seen in one place in Mexico.

I took the kids over and they were kind of bored except for the hot-dogs, pop and the dancers. Old time rock-n-roll didn't really do it for them. We bought Mari a 'cookoff' apron with red trim ... that ruined the wash a few days later when the color ran. I wonder if the Rotary fund can replace this Mexican famlies clothes (grin). Just and idea!

Rotary Chili Cookoff poster

Chili crowd watching the dancers

Ballet Xalixco dancers

Ballet Xalixco dancers

Ballet Xalixco dancers

On the Barra de Navidad plaza