First Coffee Fiesta in Cuzalapa 2016

Primer festival del café Cuzalapa 2016

Color de la Tierra. Cuzalapa.

By: Rafael Luna  

14 / Jan / 2016 Cuautitlan, Jalisco. (LF) The  20 and 21 February is when Cuzalapa indigenous community in the municipality of Cuautitlan, will have it's First Coffee Festival. Coordinator, Zuleima Hernández Rodríguez said the main objective is to show the work of the organization "Color de la Tierra", comprised of mainly indigenous women since 2001 when it was organized to process and market the coffee. This association is directly involved in supporting and planning the event.

He added that at the regional level is still much unknown potential of the collective and its products, which are purchased mainly by foreigners, while the local population seems to be little interested in buying them, which is why it is intended to disseminate it to increase its marketing.

Hernández Rodríguez said they are only missing some details but said that the program is expected to be cultural with Nahuatl activities. There will be guided tours by the coffee zones and other areas where hiking is interesting.

Also included in the First Coffee Festival in Cuzalapa, an exhibition sale of gastronomic and craft products made by the same organization sustainably exploiting natural resources. Added to this will be the participation of local merchants selling products typical of the area.

Lectures and demonstrations of coffee processing in its various derivatives will also be provided, as well as an artistic event with local talents among other activities that will be announced shortly with the publication of the official program.

Currently the organization " The Color of the Earth"  not only produces coffee, among its products are raw from Manantlán, derived from corn, cactus, the scores of Mojote food,  Chaya and different fruits is, besides clothes to wear among other products.

This organization keeps the purpose for which it emerged that is to address the socio-economic crisis and improve environmental situations, working in the preservation of biodiversity.

Check out the new things on the Chapala Malecon

Lake Chapala is the largest of ‪lakes and one of the favorite places for the people of Jalisco. Come and meet the new facilities in the boardwalk of ‪Chapala and pass the weekend in the company of family.

Free trips to the Costalegre to promote tourism

22 / Dec / 2015 Costalegre, Jalisco. (LF)  The Tourism Ministry will implement the program Free Tours, an initiative that seeks to bring the tourist destinations outside the metropolitan area of Guadalajara Jalisco who wish to know the state. Therefore, from this Friday until December 29, 14 routes to 10 different destinations in the State will be made. Among the destinations is the Costalegre.

The Ministry of Tourism regarded as tourist destinations, areas  Costalegre , Ciudad Guzman, Talpa de Allende, among other things. In addition, it is anticipated that this program an economic impact in the places visited is generated and thus to support the tourism service providers and community visited.

SECTURJAL REALIZA RECORRIDOS GRATUITOS A LA COSTALEGRE PARA FOMENTAR EL TURISMO

Feria Maestros del Arte this weekend

14th Annual
Feria Maestros del Arte

November 13-15, 2015
10 am to 5 pm

LOCATION:
Club de Yates de Chapala 
(Chapala Yacht Club)
Paseo Ramón Corona
Chapala, Jalisco, Mexico

This weekend

Website with all the info

34 municipalities of Jalisco in "extraordinary emergency"

02 / November / 2015 (LF) The Interior Ministry said 34 municipalities of Jalisco in "extraordinary emergency", 10 in Colima and twelve in Nayarit, municipalities that were affected by Hurricane Patricia, 23 and 24 October.

The Interior Ministry declared an emergency for Autlan, Ayutla, Cihuatlan, Cuautla, Cuautitlán de García Barragán, lemon, Ejutla, Cranbrook, Juchitlán, La Huerta, San Gabriel, Tenamaxtlán, Toliman, Tomatlan, Tonaya, Tuxcacuesco, Union of Tula, Zapotitlán Vadillo and 16 more municipalities in Jalisco. In Colima emergency it was declared in 10 municipalities and in Nayarit, is emergency in 12 municipalities.

With this declaration, the affected municipalities will receive resources from the Fund for Emergency Response and that immediate help to meet the nutritional needs, shelter and health of the affected population.

Letrafria article about areas effected by Hurricane Patricia  - Spanish

Nice aerial views around Ajijic

Promotional video produced ​​by "Crearte Media" about Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexico, located in the Lake Chapala area.

Vídeo turístico realizado por la empresa Crearte Media sobre Ajijic, Jalisco, México, ubicado en la Ribera de Chapala. 

Authorities Seize Jalisco Beach Hotel

The Attorney General's Office (PGR) said one hotel in the town of  La Cruz de Loreto , municipality of Tomatlan, Jalisco is listed in the Treasury of the United States as one of the companies the criminal organization  Los Cuinis uses to launder money and have their meetings.

The Hotelito is identified as a boutique hotel located in Tomatlan, Jalisco which is marketed to wealthy tourists seeking seclusion in a pristine environment. It also uses the front of being a turtle sanctuary which it may be. 

EN TOMATLÁN, PGR ASEGURÓ EL “HOTELITO DESCONOCIDO”

Los Cuinis: The Wealthiest Narcos You Never Heard Of

MEXICO CITY – A hotel in Jalisco, a state in western Mexico, used to launder money and as a meeting place for drug traffickers has been seized, the Attorney General’s Office said.

The Hotelito Desconocido was being used as a business enterprise to move funds through the financial system, the AG’s office said.

The hotel is in La Cruz de Loreto, a town outside the city of Tomatlan.

Hotelito Desconocido offered temporary housing, food and other services.


The property was seized in response to a request from the Finance and Public Credit Secretariat, and as part of an intelligence-sharing operation with the United States, the AG’s office said.

Authorities Seize Hotel in Mexican Money Laundering Case

Union de Tula is 194 years old

UNION DE TULA, JALISCO. 28 MAY 2015.- In Union of Tula continue the festivities commemorating its foundation as a people through various celebrations ranging from rodeos, cultural exhibits and food fairs, and this day the most symbolic because today is when you turn 194 years.

The director of the Casa de la Cultura, Maria Cristina Ruiz Santana, explained that these parties, made in coordination with the Department of Culture and the city, consists of several areas in which they emphasize the receptions, which are organized every day of the festivities for the residents of each colony according to the schedule. In this case, as the day of the foundation, the organization hosting is provided by City of Union of Tula.

"The first is the part of the reception where the welcome is who go for what would be the bullfight and that's as a tribute to the people at that time, in 1821 it was founded, were given to receive as Welcome to the village, and then from there a cultural festival at night is organized.

Union de Tula is considered the first town founded in the independent Mexico. It was given the name Union in commemoration of one of the three guarantees of the Plan of Iguala, and Tula by the initials of the surnames of its founders: Topete, Villasenor, Lazcano and Arriola. Since 1825 it belonged to the canton of Autlan 6th until September 21, 1832 was when Union de Tula is recorded as municipality.

Granizo o Hail en Jalisco

Extra cold with rain and thunder in most of Jalisco

Tapalpa had hail

Hail in Jalisco and Colima

This march 10th were registered in many places in the states of Jalisco and Colima. The picture of our hail in Talalpa is by the intersection at  Ferreria de Tula.

It is recommended that all motorists use extreme caution in the mountain zones.

Jalisco promotes it's Organic Coffee

Expo Gourmet Cafe 2015, to be held from 26 to 28 February in Guadalajara Expo

Various regions of Jalisco have their own quality high altitude coffees  (above 900 meters above sea level) and their production takes place in suitable micro-climates; this can be enforced to achieve certification of organic food, which will open niche markets that value this feature at a premium above the conventional product.

The CEO of agricultural development of the Ministry of Rural Development of Jalisco, Mario Ramos Velasco, said it is a strategic objective Jalisciense positioning coffee as organic and gourmet, since the smaller coffee production can not compete by volume, as the regular coffee product have large tracts of coffee, in Chiapas, Veracruz, Puebla and Oaxaca.

"La SEDER" will participate in Expo Gourmet Cafe 2015, to be held from 26 to 28 February in Guadalajara Expo, with a pavilion for Jalisco coffee growers.

He stressed that certified Jalisco coffee would have a plus and will be more attractive in the market for organic products.

According to a statement from La SEDER, Jalisco contributes 0.3 percent of coffee production in the country with plantations on 3,000,800 hectares and with a roster of 100 thousand producers; production is 8400 tonnes.

In the field there are 10 Jalisco coffee municipalities. Talpa de Allende (2000 150 hectares), Cabo Corrientes (865 hectares), Cuautitlán de García Barragán (337 hectares) and Amacueca (95 hectares), along with small areas in Pihuamo, Tuxpan, Tonila, Zapotitlán de Vadillo, San Sebastián del West and Tolimán.

In the case of Cuautitlán de García Barragán, in this region south coast, the coffee produced in the area Cuzalapa has reached international markets work and promoting women's group "Color of the Earth".

El café de Jalisco apuesta por la certificación orgánica

Last day for 15% discount for Tarjeta de Circulacion

Last day for 15% discount for Tarjeta de Circulacion

La SEPAF informa que a partir de 2015, el recibo de pago hará las veces de tarjeta de circulación, la cual llegará posteriormente a su domicilio, según lo dispuesto en el artículo tercero transitorio de la Ley de Ingresos, que aprobó el Congreso de Jalisco.

 

El plazo para realizar el pago del Refrendo Vehicular 2015 concluye el 31 de marzo próximo, y su costo es de 476 pesos. Los contribuyentes cumplidos se beneficiarán con descuentos escalonados, según la fecha en que realice el pago:

 
MES DE PAGO             BENEFICIO                  PAGO TOTAL
Enero                             15%                         405 pesos
Febrero                          10%                         428 pesos
Marzo                             5%                          452 pesos
 

Rain this winter in Jalisco due to El Niño

8 January of 2015.- The months of January, February and March are traditionally dry. However, the first quarter of 2015 could record sporadic rains in Jalisco, due to the presence of El Niño, which occurs when the waters of the Pacific Ocean have an increase in temperature, reported Meulenert Angel Peña, professor and researcher of the Institute Astronomy and Meteorology of the University of Guadalajara (University of Guadalajara).

"If the tropical Pacific warming more than normal, can cause an imbalance in the atmosphere and that imbalance manifests so that in some areas of the planet rain when it's not the rainy season" said the expert.

Entre enero y marzo habría lluvias en Jalisco por El Niño

Father of Mexican Muralism, Honored in Jalisco

The work of painter and writer Dr. Atl, considered the ideologue of Mexican Muralism and teacher of Diego Rivera, is the focus of the “Cosmic Rotation” exhibition in the western Mexican state of Jalisco, commemorating the 50th anniversary of his death.

Dr. Atl, whose real name was Gerardo Murillo Cornado (1875-1964), is considered of great importance to 20th-century Mexico, not only for his artistic work that includes both the plastic arts and literature, but also for his political and social influence, Carlos Ashida, curator of the exhibition that will remain open until next February, told Efe.

“He had a very particular ideological and philosophic position, and was among the first to make contact with the European avant-garde at the beginning of the century and knew how to adapt it to Mexico,” he said.

The exhibition, presented at the Cabañas Institute in Guadalajara, capital of Jalisco, is composed of paintings, drawings, photos and documents from such Mexican organizations as the National Institute of Fine Arts, the Tlatelolco Cultural Center and the Alfredo Zalce Museum of Contemporary Art, as well as from private collections.

Father of Mexican Muralism, Honored in Jalisco

Tlajomulco hosts the Nacional Charro Competition

Guadalajara, Mexico (October 2, 2014) .- From October 25 to November 16, Rancho Santa Maria de Tlajomulco will host 70 edition of Congress and National Charro Championship 2014, which will have the presence of the top teams the country and the United States. 

A total of 135 teams charros, 94 casts of skirmishes and charros are 15 full participants in this competition, Jalisco returns after the last time it was held in the state was in 2009, at the Arena VFG. 

"Scoring with the support of all will be a great tournament, and have everything ready, well organized, and have the mares, all stock, it will certainly be one of the best tournaments in recent years" He explained in a press conference Salvador Sánchez, president of the Charros Association of Jalisco and member of the organizing committee. 

To cover all the rodeos, the organizers have made ​​available 400 mares pial, jockeying and Mangano and 800 bulls tails and repair , weighing between 380 and 480 kilos. 

The ticket price is 90 pesos for the three day rodeo, which will be at 12:00, 16:00 and 20:00. 

"The National Charro is a tool first order to promote the good image and Jalisco, it is estimated that some 10 000 delegates will come to be several days in the city and represents a major economic benefit, "explained Enrique Ramos, Secretary of Tourism of Jalisco.

Recibirá Tlajomulco el Nacional Charro

Get ready for the Feria Maestros del Arte in Chapala

The XIII Feria Maestros del Arte will be held from 14 to 16 November in the town of Chapala, involving 80 recognized artisans in 16 states of the Mexican Republic.

Diane Ayala Vazquez, representative of the organizing committee, said it aims to preserve and promote the Mexican folk art, bringing together artisans with national and international acclaim and whose work will be on sale.

"We can see pieces in textiles, wood, ceramics, printmaking, among others, made by craftsmen originating in Chiapas, Oaxaca, Michoacan, Puebla and Jalisco, this activity is also a cultural exchange as artisans staying in the homes of people in Chapala so it is a rich coexistence, "he said.

He noted that since 2008 this festival became a civil partnership, allowing greater participation of artisans and the presence of more domestic buyers and collectors in order to promote best performing folk art.

"This time, we will have on display a sculpture of a monumental alebrije developed by Alejandro Camacho, who is an artist of Xochimilco; Michicihualli piece is called, is the Goddess of Lake Chapala and participated in the Seventh Parade WoodCarvings Monuments Museum of Popular Art in Mexico City. "

He stressed that the XIII Feria Maestros del Arte will be held at the Yacht Club, located on Ramon Corona in Chapala, open from 10:00 to 17:00 hours and entrance fee of 50 pesos.

Prepárate para la Feria Maestros del Arte en Chapala

Proposed new Corona Mercado

Almost three months after the fire that destroyed the Corona Market in the historic center of the capital of Jalisco, the afternoon of Friday unveiled the conceptual project that will work to rebuild; according to the mayor, Ramiro García Hernández is estimated that the work, which cost about 300 million pesos be completed in one year.

Of the 30 proposals received, the office "Fernández Arquitectos SC" is the winner of the tender to be developed to choose who would have to draw the layout for the construction of the new market Ramón Corona after this collapse in a fire Sunday May 4.

This is a project that includes 589 stores and parking for 582 parking spaces, plus about nine thousand square meters of offices.

The facade of this market would comprise gates and trellises, along with special adaptations for sustainability and lattices that protect against the sun's rays, green roofs, solar panels for electricity supply and efficient lighting devices.

The intent of the Ochoa property management is that becoming a new tourist destination and service for visitors to the historic center.

Concepcion de Buenos Aires

So a drive down the south side of Lake Chapala was the plan maybe to Petatán and see the pelicans if they were still there. Thoughtful me without my map I didn't know how far Petatán was and made it as far as Cojumatlán - both in Michoacan. Cojumatlán is a large town and Sundays are the day for everyone to meet at the plaza. Couldn't find parking within 4 blocks and didn't feel like being the only gringo with a camera in the huge crowd - so back to Amacueca and maybe head inland.

A friend told me about Concepción de Buenos Aires somewhere off the new road to Mazamitla as being an attractive place to visit. The turn off is about 10-12 miles up the hill from Amacueca to the right. Putting that name on a road sign is next to impossible so you'll see something like - Cocep de BA. About 12-15 miles on this secondary road full of not very deep potholes appears the gates to Concepcion.  Without a map in this area it's hard to tell if you are in Jalisco or Michoacan.

The town reminds me of a number of Colonial mountain towns like Tapalpa, Mazamitla or even Patcuaro with the tile roofs, buildings painted similarly and lots of wood. However this town was only founded in the 1850's and became head of it's municipio in the 1880's. The sign on the entrance to town says - 'Land of the friendly people'

Semana Santa Escape

Want to go in the opposite direction from everyone else this Semana Santa?  Want to let others have the beach for a few days while you explore other parts of Jalisco.  Guachimontones ruins, Tequila, Magdalena opals, Guadalajara, Tonala, Tlaquepaque.  Pick up in Melaque or Manzanillo or call or email for options.   Tour with Mex-ECO Tours

Fish Kill Under Investigation in Jalisco

MEXICO CITY – Authorities are investigating the deaths of thousands of fish due to a molasses spill in the western state of Jalisco, a spokesman for Mexico’s Profepa environmental protection agency told Efe.

An investigation was opened on Monday after officials received complaints from the Los Pinos fishing cooperative in the city of Acatlan de Juarez, where the Hurtado dam is located, and the government of the city of Tlajomulco.

The fish kill was apparently caused by an “environmental accident,” the Profepa spokesman said.

Molasses “is not a toxic substance,” but it produced a chemical reaction that eliminated the oxygen from the water and killed the fish, the Profepa spokesman said.

A local business dumped the molasses in a ravine and it was washed into the sea by the rain.

Fish Kill Under Investigation in Mexico

Sierra de Manantlán Biosphere Reserve

The Sierra de Manantlán Biosphere Reserve covers 1400 km² (roughly 350,000 acres) and is located in Southwest Jalisco on the border of Colima. In this mountainous complex over 2000 vegetable species have been registered of which some 20 are endemic. The fauna includes 330 bird species like woodpecker, raven, hummingbird, royal eagle among others. Some 200 mammal species like tlacuache (opossum), deer and large threatened felines like jaguar, puma, and ocelots along with more than 50 reptile, fish and amphibian species. 

But when the Sierra de Manantlan Biosphere Reserve was created in 1987, it was not because of the wildlife or even the exotic flowers. Instead, the centerpiece of this ruggedly beautiful reserve is a scruffy, weedy plant, named teosinte, that if noticed at all would seem more like a blight than a natural treasure. Teosinte (pronounced tee-oh-SIN-tay) is a wild relative of corn, and this particular variety grows on 15 acres on Sierra de Manantlan and no where else in the world. It has genetic traits found in no other plants - traits that could prove vital to corn fields across the world. It has resistance to diseases that commonly afflict other varieties, and it is a perennial plant that - unlike most domesticated varieties - does not have to be replanted year in and year out.

Teosinte 

Las Joyas research station that was established to protect the habitat around the discovery

Sierra de Manantlán Biosphere Reserve Map

Teosinte – maize’s wild ancestor