CARNAVAL COSTALEGRE 2016

CARNAVAL COSTALEGRE 2016.

MÚSICA, SOL Y MAR

del 4 al 9 de Febrero.

Barra de Navidad, Jalisco, México.

Calm before the storm

It will will not be this calm this afternoon when Hurricane Patricia comes ashore. Patricia turned into a CAT 5 over night and expected to land around Perula .... but it's so large it will effect the whole Jalisco coast. Possibility of some very large surf along with wind and rain.

From NOAA

...PATRICIA...
...THE STRONGEST EASTERN NORTH PACIFIC HURRICANE ON RECORD...
...HEADING FOR POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC LANDFALL IN SOUTHWESTERN
MEXICO LATER TODAY...

The new Barra de Navidad statue

Bienvenidos a Barra de Navidad says the new statue at the entrance to Barra.

From the Guadalajara Reporter

Visitors to Barra de Navidad are now greeted by a new public sculpture featuring a marlin and sailfish, a tribute to the southern Jalisco beach town’s sport fishing tradition.

Made from fiberglass by Mazatlan artist Luis Zuniga Guerra, the work was funded by the Jalisco Department of Tourism, the Municipality of Cihuatlan and John Reed, a Canadian artist and longtime resident of Barra. The sculpture, which now adorns the glorieta at the entrance to town, is considered the largest marlin sculpture in the world, at over five meters tall. An application has been already been made for inclusion of this fact in the Guinness Book of Records.

Barra de Navidad on "Wanna Go Fishing"

These guys from the ESPN show Wanna Go Fishing came down November 08 to film a show here. As is almost always the case when cameras are running the bite died and I was a nervous nellie, trying to get them a show. They were after a Roosterfish, which we'd been catching days earlier. Of course day one we caught 2 Giant needlefish, nothing else and I was looking pretty lame. However, the fish gods smiled the next day and we bagged a couple of them and got some good footage of chasers. Anyway, the showed aired a few weeks ago and it turned out okay.

Barra de Navidad, Costalegre, Jalisco Mexico

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 de Navidad Lagoon

These two views of the Barra Lagoon are from Isla de Navidad looking south towards it's head waters. Both Arroyo Seco and the Marabasco River feed into the lagoon. The lagoon is beautiful, a popular moorage but is polluted from mining runoff upstream from the Peña Colorada iron mine in Colima. There is local sewer control so swimming in the lagoon is not an issue - but I would not eat any seafood found there

The bottom foto looks at part of the Playa de Coco peninsula, an area that comes into conflict between the states of Jalisco and Colima because the Marabasco river is the border ... and it changes course between summer and winter. Often in the rainy season the river will enter the ocean near Manzanillo airport because of the large amount of water. During the dry season there is only seepage on the Colima side and the river heads for Barra.

Barra de Navidad lagoon looking south

Looking towards Playa de Coco from Isla Navidad

Barra de Navidad Malecon

Is it really as white-hot as it looks - well almost. It was a very warm day and this was just after I'd walked the beach from Melaque. This was first day using this camera and all my exposures were off. A little photo adjusting came up with this and I think it's pretty cool but different

Barra de Navidad, Costalegre, Jalisco, Mexico

A drive behind Jaluco

This is the road to Tequesquitlan with the little town of Almolon along the way. Marcos had not been out in this direction so we were just going to go as far as the new highway under construction and look around. All farmland and even pretty this time of year with irrigation. The highway has not been worked on in this area for well over a year - as you can see.

We were surprised to see a large brick yard just beyond the highway and I attribute it's size to all the construction in the area. At least 8 groups were working on their own bricks and ovens. It's located in a river bed that must have some clay in the dirt used. All materials used are found there except the Cocos to fire the ovens

Road behind Jaluco

The new highway wasting away

The brick yard - building an oven ( horno )

Drying tiles before they are fired

Jaluco, Costalegre, Jalisco

400 Años Centenario del Puerto

"The new monolith on the Malecon is the old monolith from the Jardin. It was a gift from I believe our sister city in the Philippines commemorating Miguel Lopez de Legazpi's 1564 voyage from Puerto de la Navidad (now Barra) to the Pilippines."

1564 - All the zone between ports of Navidad and Salagua (Manzanillo) (In line for supply routes to; Autlán, Ameca, Zapotlán, Amula, Tuspa, Tamazula, Guadalajara, Towns of Avalos, etc.) existed from the activities connected with the construction of ships for the trip to the Philippines. On November 21st, 1564, Miguel Lopez Legazpi, with the title of "Adelantado," along with the friar Andrés de Urdaneta, sailed from Puerto de Navidad to colonize an archipelago in the Far East. Legazpi named the archipelago FILIPINAS in honor of Felipe II, then king of Spain. In 1571 he founded Manila as its capital.

Rebuilding

Finished product

View from the jetty

Costalegre Jalisco Mexico

Tianguis day in Barra

Thursday is Tianguis day in Barra following Wednesday in Melaque. Dora bought the wrong sized pants in Melaque so we went to exchange them and she ended up with two more things. That gave Ron and I time to wander around and get a beer. Later visited Armando and picked up Mike for an early dinner. Ron and Dora's last night in town before heading back to Seattle.

A Tianguis is a traveling market and pretty interesing if you've not been much. I'm kinda worn out on them. The have more tourist stuff over winter but get back to basics in the summer.

Barra de Navidad, Costalegre, Jalisco, Melaque

Ballet Folklórico Xalixco de Barra de Navidad

Saludos desde Barra de Navidad Jalisco!
Nuestro ballet folklórico se inició apenas hace dos años. Somos un grupo independiente sin padrinos ni patrocinadores, por esa razón, notarán que a veces usamos vestuario improvisado. Sin embargo, no nos faltan las ganas de aprender y de tratar de bailar a la pefección. Hemos participado en las Fiestas de Octubre de Guadalajara dos años consecutivos y nos ha ido de maravilla.

Greetings from Barra de Navidad Jalisco!
Our folkloric ballet group was founded two years ago. We're an independent group. We don't have any sponsers; consequently, you will notice that sometimes we use improvised outfits. However, we have the desire to learn and dance close to perfection. We have participated two consecutive years in the October Festival in Guadalajara and we were successful in both ocassions.

*** This week only ***
When: Saturday January 26th
Where: Barra de Navidad square
Time: 7:00 p.m.

What: A festival to benefit the “Ballet Folklórico Xalixco de Barra de Navidad.”

This dance group needs your help to buy a wardrobe from the State of Chiapas. As you know the “Ballet Xalixco” is an independent group that survives with the efforts of the parents of the young members as well as with the good will of people like you. You see them at the Barra square at least 3 times a week putting their heart and effort in learning dances from old Mexico. In spite of its financial limitations, the group is now considered the best in the region and one of the best in the State of Jalisco. Don’t let the ballet remain stagnant with a reduced number of dances with the limited wardrobe that it currently owns. There will be typical Mexican food, beverages and we hope to sell beer and shots of tequila. Of course there will be dances performed by the members of the ballet. Come and enjoy Mexico as it is intended to be enjoyed and while enjoying the performance of these great dancers you help the group buy new outfits.

Email:
ballet_xalixco@hotmail.com
ballet_xalixco@yahoo.com

More Folklórico Xalixco on YouTube

Odin y Perro

Odin surfeando con su perro en Barra de Navidad, Jalisco, Mexico

Rancho La Aurora - Parque Acuatico

After living in the area for over 2 years this is only the second visit to Rancho La Aurora and I'm not sure why. We will definately do it more often from now on. The kids just refer to the place as 'los toboganes'. We arrived about 11am and were only the second group there - by 4pm there were about 15 groups but not at all crowded. Admission is about $40 pesos for adults and $25 pesos for kids. You can either bring your own food and drink - or they have a restaurant and small store. Lots of room and lots of shade - we parked in back next to our tables. The water pumps for the slides are not always on and that may depend on the amout of people there to pay the electric bill. Still - very fun place!




The four Amigos


Water play


Two swimming pools


More fotos of our family outing

Save this Giant Higuera Tree

Note the Se Vende (for sale) sign
The magnificent tree pictured above is in danger because the two lots that it occupies are listed for sale: it would not be possible to build on either lot without destroying the tree or a large part of it. The locals call the tree higuera, and it is the largest of the four big trees left in Barra de Navidad.

Bill and Maureen Conlen, John Perkins, Linda Knipher, and Jessie and Steve Zanjanc are seeking support to purchase the lots at $20000 each, and to do so this season, as property prices in Barra are rising, and we wish to avoid competition with another bidder.

Realistically, we are not going to be able to do this on the basis of $25 donations; we need 40 pledges of $1000. These pledges will not be collected until we have enough to make an offer. These donors will have ownership interest in the lots should they ever be resold (due to the demise of the tree). We will be very happy to accept smaller contributions, but to minimize bookkeeping, smaller contributions will be treated as nonrefundable donations; if it is not feasible to purchase the lots, we will donate such money to a local charity.

As a related issue, the building housing Beer Bob's Book Exchange has been sold, and the exchange will have to move after this season. We are considering the construction of a small, compatible structure on the tree lots as a permanent home for the exchange.

We welcome your ideas and thank you for you support.

CONTACT INFORMATION:
bconlen@hotmail.com 253-752-1358
linda.knipher@gmail.com
jessieandpenny@hotmail.com

Secret lagoon road

We were out looking at lots the other day and came into Barra on the back road that angles in from near Aguacate. I thought of the secret road out to the lagoon near the high school and we decided to take a look. The road is pretty bad and you really should have a truck. It's a narrow two wheel track and you just hope you don't meet anyone coming the other way. It would make a nice country bike ride. There used to be a large catamaran hull sitting on the beach but a few kids said that they finally hauled it away. It was a real eye sore. A few locals have put up a fence to keep their goats together. There's no problem going thru but just close the gate after you in both directions.

The beach at the end of the road


Goats at the gate


I came across this older sunset foto from Barra

Scenes around Barra de Navidad

Some friends were here for 2 weeks over Christmas that had lived in Barra about 5 years ago. We spent the day walking and eating our way thru town. A couple of hours during the long happy hour around the Hotel Sands pool, driving around the canals with all the fancy homes and checking out all the new shops, bars and restaurants. There is much more competition in Barra than neighboring Melaque to make things fancy and upscale and expensive - but there is a lot to choose from and definately more music and nightlife

The lagoon


The canals


The streets


Seamaster at night

The Beach and Surf in Barra de Navidad

Summer Surf is coming
It's getting warmer and the waves bigger. Very few gringos around but still plenty of Mexican tourists on the weekends. Can't wait until we have some weather move up the coast and see what the surf is like then. Last summer I spent most of my time in the cooler climates of Patzcuaro and Cuernavaca taking Spanish classes.

Umbrellas on the Beach


Statue marking the beginning of the Costalegre


A couple of good surfers out


15 people out in early afternoon

Surfing - Barra de Navidad

Surfing off the Barra de Navidad Jetty
From time to time in the winter the surf is pretty good in Barra but some days there is nothing. This day in Feburary 2006 the surf was some of the best winter surf I've seen there. I can be much larger during the summer season. Go through town to the Malecon that goes out to the jetty and harbor entrance. Easy water entrance from either side of the break. There is a rental shack on the Malecon that also offers lessons. During the summer you'll have to rent a board in town at one of the few shops

Rental Shack on the Malecon


Town of Melaque in the background


Even winter surf can be fun


Pulling up?

Barra de Navidad

Fotos from around Barra de Navidad

Barra de Navidad Beach from the Jetty
 

The town of Barra de Navidad (Christmas Sandbar)with a population of 7000+ is a small farming and fishing community located on the east end of the Bahía de Navidad, 60 km north of Manzanillo. In recent years, the Jalisco state government has promoted Barra as a tourist attraction of the Costalegre. The beachfront fronting the sandbar arks toward Melaque 4.5 kilometers to the west.

Fishing boats and water taxies along the lagoon

The history of "modern" Barra de Navidad dates back to the mid-1500's when the Spanish used it for ship building, repairs and a jumping off point to the Philippines.

Hotel Grand Bay looking across from the jetty

The large lagoon behind Barra de Navidad is criss-crossed by small fishing boats gathering scallops and transporting visitors and locals from Barra to Isla Navidad and the Grand Bay Hotel, recently voted the Number One hotel/resort in Mexico by the Travel Channel. These boats (panga taxies) also carry passengers to and from the small Colima community of Colimilla where restaurants line the shore.

Barra de Naviadad and Isla de Navidad from the air