Hello again from La Manzanilla for the last time – I promise !  Rita & I got back from Melaque with the Westy’s damage repaired.  It’s sort of straight and sort of red is all I can say.  What would you expect for $200 ?  Pictures below will tell the tale.  At any rate we got back late Saturday evening and missed the afternoon Gringo Day and Rodeo events.  But we did get into the evening festivities downtown which included a great Mexican Banda and many street vendors.  A few tacos and beer and Mexican Banda music with Ernst & Jonathan and many other friends we’ve made in La Manzanilla.  The following day, Sunday, the Casino Party downtown with free beer and beef boiled in sauce in huge earthen ware casseroles was served up to all who came.  At around 4 pm the Casino event wound down and everyone was invited to attend the Rodeo.  So to the outskirts of town we all march to newly built bull ring which was constructed on a vacant piece of property just below the casita that Rita’s family stayed while here.  Because of their renting that Casito we got to see the beginning of the construction of the bull ring and eventually the end result !  for a Mexican construction project to be completed in such short order was absolutely unbelievable.  A few of the times I was there there were no less that 30 men working and from all accounts they worked round the clock once the project got under way.  All to have a rodeo place for the five day Manzanilla Rodeo event !  Now there’s priorities if I’ve ever seen them ! 

    Well, our first night at the rodeo was impressive as we spent it on the outside looking in from above with some friends who own the property above.  We had a birds eye view and it was great.  Mexican cowboys riding bulls is something you have to see.  Only the pictures and movies I’m posting links to below will explain.  So afterwards we make our way back to town and more Banda, beer and food. 

    Monday we escaped the festivities to take a ride with Mike up the coast Northwards to explore other small beaches and camping possibilities.  Just as we’re making our way out of the dirt road of our campsite we meet Richard & Terry with Jean aboard coming to visit us.  They decide to tag along with us and we make a day of exploring.  First stop along the way was Cayeres about an 1/2 drive North of La Manzanilla.  It’s a sleepy small village where a huge resort is located.  We find our way down to the beach and a palapa restaurant for beers, shrimp salads and guacamole.  We watch a couple of young locals pull a dozen or so nice size catfish out of the lagoona across from as.  I’m jealous !  We then make our way further north to Chamela just south of Punta Perula where we stayed a couple years back.  Here we find an almost free camping beach, $3.50/night with sort of clean toilets and running water but no electricity.  There are palapa restaurants so we again order up beer and food.  It’s a great place here with a nice bay for swimming and some surfing for the small wave folks.  We all make notes to come back this way sometime.  Back to La Manzanilla and the evening party, more beer & food !

    Tuesday and Wednesday are pretty much a repeat except on Tuesday Rita & I paid the $5 each to get in the Rodeo so we could experience it from the inside with the locals.  It was great and most of the photos you will see are from that night.  Back in town another Banda more beer and food.  Wednesday was a bit more exciting as it was the official celebration day of La Manzanilla and culmination of this five day extravaganza.  The Casino event featured more free beer and roasted chicken this time for a change.  We sat at a table with many of our new Mexican friends and we had a blast.  There were Hawaiian Hula dancers and Indian Belly dancers, Mariachi bands and Banda bands.  Even the local school bands had their turn at the stage.  Wednesday evening we’re back at the Rodeo up on the hill with our friends again then back downtown to the New York Show Banda and more beer and food.  It was very late when we walked the beach back to our camp for the last time which gave an all new experience, seeing glowing plankton on the beach where our footprints were. 

    Thursday morning was the day we were all to leave so a lot of time was spent over the last few days in between the festivities packing and cleaning the sand out of all our stuff.  Ernst was heading to Puerto Vallarta and Jonathan was heading to Melaque for a few day with Jean and to get some work done in solitude.  So the morning was spent in saying goodbyes to neighbours and friends.  Jonathan went off surfing a few minutes after Ernst left.  Rita & I dilly dallied around a bit longer to clean up a few loose ends then headed into town to meet Jonathan for breakfast at Jolandas and to say our goodbyes to Leon and Jolanda and one last kick at the Internet on the beach before getting out of town.

    We eventually made our way to Melaque and meet up with Richard & Terry for one last goodbye.  We also meet some friends from the Quebec Westfalia Club who are camped at the downtown Melaque Trailer Park.  We spend some time with them and off we go to Manzanillo.

    In Manzanillo I go to get one last project done, the procurement of a Mex bus starter & flywheel for my good friend Greg Potts.   Parts in hand, hands cleaned, we make our way to the local Wal Mart for some last minute shopping before we get on the road in the morning for La Ticla to meet up with Jason.  Jonathan and our new Westy friends Mike and Marianne will meet us there Saturday.  A Mexican surfing adventure is about to begin.

    

    We are now camped out on the beach behind the Manzanillo Wal Mart with many huge container ships and one large cruise ship on its way out in the bay.  The sun has set and the bright city lights of Manzanillo are showing up well to our left.  There’s an Internet Cafe not far and hopefully this will get posted later this evening before we get off down the coast.  After La Ticla our plans are to go toward Moreila and the butterfly sanctuary with stops in Pasquero and other interesting places we find.  After that we will possibly make our way down to Puerto Escondido to meet up with Gord and Johanne and see what their up to.

Friday morning update – Could not post last night as expected so have more to say.  Camping on the beach behind the Manzanillo Wal Mart is NOT free !  The price in noise is unbelievable.  Party people, Banda music, Boom Boom music, police action, sirens ALL night long is the price !  DO NOT camp there if you want peace & quiet and a good nights sleep ! 

Chez Raymonds project as seen on the way out of La Manzanilla: 

Melaque Body repair results:         

Melaque scenes:  http://picasaweb.google.com/Frankcondelli/Melaque

Cayeres & Chamala:   More pics at this link > http://picasaweb.google.com/Frankcondelli/CayeresChamala

Rodeo:   More pics at this link >  http://picasaweb.google.com/Frankcondelli/RodeoLaManzanilla

Rodeo movie on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/v/ex2OjIAYzug

Manzanillo scene and Wal Mart camping:      

Enjoy the photos & movie !

Adio,

Frank, Rita & Hunter

Posted on February 8th, 2008 by FrankandRita
Filed under: Rita and Frank Condelli