If Peter Benchley needed a model for his fictional summer colony of Amity, he could have easily used Melaque.
The difference is that Melaque is a tourist town for all seasons. But the starting pistol was just fired for the summer season.
Most Mexican schools held their graduations this week. That means that school is out and Mexican families are heading for the beach.
The first wave hit earlier this week. Comfortable cars filled with solidly middle class Mexican families forgoing the pleasures of Puerto Vallarta have been showing up all week. And the busloads of tourists from Guadalajara and Autlan will soon follow.
They will not be the masses of semana santa (Holy Week -- Easter). But, for the next two months of summer vacation, Melaque will be selling a nice time at the beach in exchange for pockets full of pesos.
They may not have the history of the highlands, but my Mexican neighbors are extraordinary entrepreneurs. Anyone who can sell Chinese knockoffs as genuine Indian crafts could probably sell Manhattan back to the Dutch for a trunk full of beaded anklets.
And this looks like it will be a good year.
The tourists are creating massive traffic jams in front of the bank. The vendors have their wares spread on the sidewalk. The restaurants are filled with Mexican families. And the hotel reception desks have long lines.
But you can always tell when the town is expecting a lot of tourists. The traffic wardens show up. Only two today. But they were keeping traffic rolling along while watching for any good opportunity to meet a potential donor to the police retirement fund.
Last March I passed along an anecdote in breaking spring.
The difference is that Melaque is a tourist town for all seasons. But the starting pistol was just fired for the summer season.
Most Mexican schools held their graduations this week. That means that school is out and Mexican families are heading for the beach.
The first wave hit earlier this week. Comfortable cars filled with solidly middle class Mexican families forgoing the pleasures of Puerto Vallarta have been showing up all week. And the busloads of tourists from Guadalajara and Autlan will soon follow.
They will not be the masses of semana santa (Holy Week -- Easter). But, for the next two months of summer vacation, Melaque will be selling a nice time at the beach in exchange for pockets full of pesos.
They may not have the history of the highlands, but my Mexican neighbors are extraordinary entrepreneurs. Anyone who can sell Chinese knockoffs as genuine Indian crafts could probably sell Manhattan back to the Dutch for a trunk full of beaded anklets.
And this looks like it will be a good year.
The tourists are creating massive traffic jams in front of the bank. The vendors have their wares spread on the sidewalk. The restaurants are filled with Mexican families. And the hotel reception desks have long lines.
But you can always tell when the town is expecting a lot of tourists. The traffic wardens show up. Only two today. But they were keeping traffic rolling along while watching for any good opportunity to meet a potential donor to the police retirement fund.
Last March I passed along an anecdote in breaking spring.
I was standing in the long ATM line behind a fellow who I have known for three years.
He comes south every year for about six months.
He looked at the line of aging white faces and said: “I don’t know how this place survives after all of the tourists leave in spring.”
I told him, the place survives because there are plenty of Mexican tourists who pick up part of the slack when the northern contingent leaves.
He didn't believe me. Partly because he has never seen just how busy Melaque can be in the summer -- when the heat-phobic head north.
Well, the summer crowd is here now. And, in many ways, the northern winter invasion pales in comparison to our summer visitors.
Now, all we need is a great white to stir up a little interest.
He looked at the line of aging white faces and said: “I don’t know how this place survives after all of the tourists leave in spring.”
I told him, the place survives because there are plenty of Mexican tourists who pick up part of the slack when the northern contingent leaves.
He didn't believe me. Partly because he has never seen just how busy Melaque can be in the summer -- when the heat-phobic head north.
Well, the summer crowd is here now. And, in many ways, the northern winter invasion pales in comparison to our summer visitors.
Now, all we need is a great white to stir up a little interest.
