I am turning into a palapa aficionado.
And you all know why. Mexico has given me a post-graduate extension course in construction with our church's new palapa. Most of you know the details from all aboard.
One of my readers commented that the lateral bracing appeared to be inadequate due to the wind load that would be created by the pitch of the palapa. I am not an engineer (and I have never played one on television). So, I cannot offer an intelligent assessment on the warning.
But I thought of his comment as I was driving back to Melaque from Puerto Vallarta. The highway runs along the edge of the Pacific until the highway meets the mouth of the Tomatlán River. Perched high on the cliff above the Pacific is Le Kliff -- a bar and restaurant. (I took the photograph in just move it from the restaurant's parking lot.)
A major portion of the restaurant is a giant palapa. Currently in the process of getting a new roof. You can see it at the top of this post.
I do not know how long the palapa has been there. But it has been years.
What struck me about it was the pitch of its roof. That palapa is buffeted by far higher winds than the church's palapa in Melaque.
If the Le Kliff palapa can survive, I suspect ours will do just fine.
