Robinson Crusoe classic filmed in Colima

Robinson Crusoe by Luis Bunuel was filmed in Mexico near Manzanillo, Colima in 1952, actually Cuyutlan. This movie was one of Bunuel's first English language films and was sort of a guinea-pig as the film was flown to Los Angeles every day to be processed into Eastmancolor. It's probably the best version that's been made of the character created by Daniel Defoe.

DVD cover from the movie

Bunuel filming on the beach

Dan O'Herlihy on the beach

Luis Bunuel DOT org

Historical Slide Show of Manzanillo

History of Manzanillo in a Slide Show

These fotos are from the Manzanillo Historical Web Site which also has a number of pages of written history from Prehispanic, Spanish occupation to the modern day. Very interesting site but all in Spanish.

In 1825 the official “Port of Manzanillo” opened. As an important sea port, Manzanillo opened the first telegraph office on the Pacific coast in 1869. Manzanillo was raised to the status of a city in 1873, and by 1890 train service arrived and made coast to coast travel much more convenient. The train boosted the commercial importance of the port, as the only train/port link on the Pacific. The railroad to Colima City (the capital city) was completed in 1889. In 1908, the link to Guadalajara was completed and Manzanillo was named an official port of entry into Mexico. Manzanillo was the temporary capital of the state of Colima for one week in 1915, when Pancho Villa’s troops were threatening to capture the Colima City.

Manzanillo Historical Web Site

Costaño Cafe in Las Brisas

I've always admired this little Cafe in the Las Brisas beach section of Manzanillo but have never gone in. Now that I'm building a little place up the coast I'm always looking for ideas. I seldom see many people in the place and when I asked the girls that worked there, they said it's more of an evening and weekend place and busier when the tourist are here. I'm seldom in Manzanillo in the evening unless I'm staying overnight. Anyway, nice Starbucks kind of place with decent coffee and sweet pastry.

Manzanillo boat harbor off the Malecon

Much of the Manzanillo fishing fleet moors off the Malecon close to downtown. There is also a fish market in the middle just off the street. You can now easily walk from downtown to the main harbor entrance where large ships enter and where Immigration is located. I've not tried the restaurant in the bottom foto but it must be perfect for watching harbor activities

Surfing at Bora's

Stan, who lives in Santiago invited a few of us to lunch at LuLu's near the market in central Santiago yesterday. it worked out well for me since my fumigator showed up and I needed to be out of the house. Great food at LuLu's and met two other manzanillo Bloggers - New Beginnings and Manzanillo Blog. Nice group of people.

I went early as I had to get out of the house and the surf was decent (before the wind comes up) in front of Bora's. Normally I'm a little later and haven't seen the surfboard rentals and lessons signs before. Bora's is at the north end of Playa Santiago.

Road side fruit stands

If you want some good fruit and probably things you've never seen before - try some of the road side stands. This one is about 5 miles north of Manzanillo on highway 200 along with 5 or six other stands.

National Institute of Fisheries and Ventanas

Ventanas is the local name for the opening to the Cuyutlan lagoon and the jetty at the mouth of it on the ocean side. The name is as informal as the way surf locations are named. Also next to the jetty is National Institute of Fisheries building. The main reason for this canal opening is to feed water to the power plant which has an exit spillway on the open ocean side (also interesting to see).

To get to Ventanas go through downtown towards the power plant, through a lagoon side community to an area with beach palapa restaurants on the lagoon. Take a right just before the canal bridge and follow the dirt road along the canal out to the jetty. Just hope for no oncoming traffic as it is a one-laner.

The canal looking towards the ocean and Ventanas

Looking back through the canal towards the power plant

National Institute of Fisheries

Starbucks comes to Manzanillo

Why they chose Manzanillo at this point I'm not sure. Maybe someone that owns a franchise up north wanted something to do on vacation. Maybe drug money is under invested. The article below just says Starbucks is following their normal pace of rapid expansion.

Anyway, I'm sure this will be open for the winter tourist season and it's located directly across from Walmart. Be careful crossing the street.

MEXICO CITY – Dozens of new Starbucks stores will open this year in Mexico, according to the chain's Mexican partner, part of an overseas expansion plan that could offset slower sales in an oversaturated U.S. market.

Fast-food franchiser Alsea has opened 201 Starbucks coffee shops since the brand first entered Mexico just over five years ago and now stores are popping up around the country at one of the fastest rates in the world.

Article - Centam Coffee-Starbucks expands shops in Mexico as U.S. slows

Office Max, Subway and Juega y Juega

We went shopping in Manzanillo yesterday and noticed the new Office Max was open. Next door is a Subway, a Bings ice cream and a few small shops. Behind them all is 'the Casino', called Juega y Juega, filled with electronic betting machines. I assume these are not just video games but I don't know the betting proceedure. This little mall is between Walmart and Sorianas on the Walmart side.

As usual, Office Max has a decent selection of office furniture and supplies ... and is the best place for reading lamps

Office Max

Subway

Juega y Juega

PATA Manzanillo updates

Hello all,
Here is a brief PATA Manzanillo update to our events and programs that we've implemented the last few weeks:

1. Educational outreach campaigns: We've been visiting the private schools in the area in an educational outreach pilot program that we'll extend to ALL the area schools once classes resume in the fall. We have brought recuperated street animals to classrooms and conducted interactive talks about the importance of responsible, compassionate and loving pet care. We have been well received by teachers and students alike, and have been delighted by the level of interest of the children. They seem genuinely open to learning about how to be good pet owners. We are hoping this will have a trickle down effect as they spread the message home to their families, friends and neighbors. We will work on an extended outreach plan with Campo Verde high school students, who are required to complete 200 hours of community service, to integrate them into the talks to school aged kids.... thus helping forward the message of humanity towards animals from local youth to local children.

2. First mini-campaign: We logged our first mini campaign in the downtown neighborhood of Alameda back in May. We set up shop in a garage and spayed/neutered 14 animals (10 cats, 4 dogs) with a skeleton crew of 5 people. It went surprisingly well, we were completely on top of all aspects of induction, surgery, recovery and post-op, and hope to have a few more done before the summer is through. Your wonderful financial donations throughout the year helped make this mini-clinic possible with ZERO adidtional cost to PATA.... we simply used supplies let over from the clinics in March and intend to do so throughout the year. Dr. Gaby in turn has also completed 20-30 free surgeries in her "down time" at her clinic to patients who we were unable to see at the clinics.....

3. Garage sale glory: Our Calgary, AB chapter, lead by the intrepid Chris Newbold and her animal-loving family, have done it again! They pulled off two incredible garage sales logging in $1,800 in sales of donated items. They had lots of help from the folks at Canada Post and the neighbors, who came out and supported our worthy cause from afar. When you see Chris upon her return in the fall, please don't hesitate to give her a very well-deserved pat on the back for her incredible efforts to help Manzanillo animals from near and afar.

4. Mini feria on Sun, July 6: Spread the word of PATA Manzanillo's first carnival for kids in Salon Azteca in Salagua!!! It will be an all day event with a jumpy castle, swimming pool, loads of kid-friendly games, balloons, hot dogs, cotton candy, hamburgers, fries, popcorn (** food is an additional cost)..... and a grand finale dog costume show. Tickets are 50 pesos but we have several packages to make things even more economical...... 150 pesos for a family pack of four. The event is sponsored by Monkey's Fried Chicken, Radio Levy (K-liente), Mexican Pacific Marketing, Boca de Iguanas EcoResort. THIS IS A GREAT EVENT TO INVITE YOUR MEXICAN NEIGHBORS TO PARTICIPATE IN, AND EVEN BETTER TO PURCHASE TICKETS FOR HOUSEKEEPING STAFF, GARDENERS, SECURITY, AND OTHER HIRED HELP TO TAKE THEIR FAMILIES FOR A FUN SUNDAY AFTERNOON. All proceeds go towards supporting PATA Manzanillo's spay/neuter programs and community outreach and educational initiatives to further our mandate to help make Manzanillo a safer, pet-friendly and animal-loving place!

That's all for now! Hope to see you and your Mexican friends at the fair in a few weeks! Those of you involved in other community groups who have an interest in our dealings, please feel free to pass the notice along and include us in your newsletter updates.

Saludos,
Renee Oveson

www.PATAManzanillo.com
info@PATAManzanillo.com

Manzanillo Colima Mexico

Juluapan Peninsula

There's not a lot on the Internet about the Juluapan Peninsula except from real-estate developers. Lots of fancy homes and gated communities on the Pacific side high on the cliffs. Most of the area is not accessable unless you know someone or are staying there. There is the somewhat over rated L'Recif Restaurant at the Vida del Mar complex that is only open winter months. There's also a few public roads with good views but they are not always in the best repair.

On the La Boquita beach side you'll find a small public area past the grounds of Palma Real Villas with beach and lagoon access. Dive boats often take snorkle tours to this area so it might be good for beach access. The Juluapan Peninsula access is from the little town of 'El Naranjo' just north of Club Santiago off Highway 200

Looking south on Pacific side


Looking north on Pacific side


The lagoon on the La Boquita beach side


Palmas Real Villas with beach access

Manzanillo, Colima

Mexico Navy Day - June 1st

Buque Mary Galante en Salagua 1989

The day is held on the 1 June and is a national holiday which has been recognised every year since 1942. It relates to 1 June 1917 when article 32 of the Constitution of the United Mexican States was applied for the first time. The article states that any vessel flying the Mexican flag must be crewed by seamen who are Mexican by birth and thus it is a celebration of national pride and identity. The day is marked throughout the country with special events taking place in many of the sea ports including Puerto Escondido and Puerto Angel on the Sierra Madre del Sur. Events include navy ceremonies in the harbours followed by traditional singing and dancing

Manzanillo Navy Day - Día de la Marina

Surf Trip to Pascuales

These guys were on a surf trip down highway 200 through the Costalegre into Michoacan. Pascuales is one of their stops - and although the surf does not look great, they are just in time for a local festival. Nicely done video and sure feels like Mexico

Pascuales Colima Mexico

In Mexico, on the Lam With Ken Kesey

New York Times
North America > Mexico > Manzanillo


I am in the ocean, doing nothing, just bobbing. I am facing a golden-sugar beach, a low pink hotel, a thatched palapa baking in the heat. To my left, a long crescent stretch of bay, a cradling arm around a basket of blue. To my right, a stone jetty. Beyond it, a port full of oceangoing tankers and the cliff-hugging city of Manzanillo. Behind me, the limitless Pacific. All around, pelicans loitering in the swells, which lift and gently drop me, my arms out, toes brushing velvet sand.


I said I was doing nothing, but I’m actually trying to summon somebody: Ken Kesey, novelist, psychedelic prophet, leader of the Merry Pranksters, hero of “The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test.” It was here, on this beach, that he took to the waves as I did, back in 1966. He was a hunted man then, on the run from the F.B.I. and Mexican federales, but even he, a man of great aplomb, found time for thoughtful bobbing.


New York Times article

Quiet before the Storm - Semana Santa

I went into Manzanillo to stock up before the Semana Santa rush gets here and took these quiet pictures of the beach. I also went south of town as far as Campos, past the electric plant and the natural gas storage (Zeta Gas) ... but was disappointed to find you can't enter the toll road headed north to bypass Manzanillo so had head back thru town. There are no toll booths to the north and that is their road. More pictures soon of the waterfront and south.

From Playa Miramar looking towards Santiago

Playa Miramar

Canoas town and Coffee

A pretty little town on the way to Minatitlan
Canoas, Colima - Mexico



Not a lot to say about this pretty little town except that it's as close to the most picturesque Mexican pueblo you may find. The road into Canoas, about 40 minutes into the mountains from Manzanillo, is paved with cobble stones and two cement tracks. Many of the houses and fences are built with river rock.


This was my second visit, this time looking for coffee and the processing plant. The last visit was November and too early for coffee season which starts in December. The coffee plant is off to the right as you enter town near the 'concha de futbol'. The type of roasting here seems to be only medium or Cafe Americano but the plant was closed and our information was just from a few small stores in town that sell coffee. I bought one bag labeled 'Cafe Canoas' and heard that Walmart in Manzanillo carries it.

Typical house in Canoas


The Coffee Cooperative


Coffee drying


Coffee machinery


Canoas Coffee Web page

Diving in Manzanillo Mexico

Manzanillo Colima Past and Present Slideshow