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There are several interpretations of the meaning
of Ixtlahuacan. However, is it widely believed to be the
compound of two words from around 1500 A.D.: "ixtla"
from Ixtlacateotl, the prevailing deity of the time, and "huacan"
from Chimalhuacan, which was the name of the region.
A membrillo (or quince in English) is a fruit that
looks like a yellow cross between a pear and an apple. A good, ripe
membrillo has an amazing floral and sweet aroma and eaten raw has a
very sour "green apple" taste. High in natural pectin,
membrillo is frequently used to help thicken and set other jellies.
If you thicken it enough, you get a paste solid enough (like the
consistency of the insides of a gum drop) to slice. Follow this link
for a recipe (pdf)
At one time Ixtlahuacan had several
membrillo orchards yielding thousands of membrillos. Hence the name
of the town, Ixtlahuacan de los Membrillos, means Ixtlahuacan
of the Quince Fruit.
Ixtlahuacan de los Membrillos, the main entrance of the town
shown above, has grown significantly from the Indian village it once
was. According to legend, around 1533 A.D. a tribal group from Tlajomulco
received a revelation from their god that the place where they lived
would sink and they would die if they did not leave. This same
revelation contained the instructions to climb a very high slope at
night and look to the east for a bright, shining light. The shining
light would indicate where they should relocate.
In Ixtlahuacan de los Membrillos, there is a large natural
spring called "El Ojo de Agua" or "The
Water's Eye", the original site shown above. This natural
spring supplies most of the town with water today. However, in 1533
A.D., the water ran unrestrained downhill and formed several large
pools. By night according to the legend, the water in these pools
reflected the light of Venus creating an intense light that could be
seen from a great distance.
Recognizing the light as a sign from their
god, they relocated around "The Water's Eye". Thus,
the town of Ixtlahuacan de los Membrillos was established. |
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Ixtlahuacan de
los Membrillos
Where is Ixtlahuacan de los Membrillos, México?
Ixtlahuacan de los Membrillos, with over 25,000 inhabitants in
2005, is a municipality located in the center of the state of Jalisco
(20°21'00" to 20°27'30" north latitude and 103°07'20" to
103°17'00" west longitude). The town is about 20 miles from the
state capital, Guadalajara, and a short 30 minute drive from the
international airport located there. Ixtlahuacan de los Membrillos,
bordered by the municipality El Salto to the north, Chapala to the
south, Juanacatlán and Poncitlán to the east and Tlajomulco
de Zúñiga to the west, extends over 72 square miles and is the
municipal head over 94 localities.
What is our weather like?
The climate of Ixtlahuacan de los Membrillos, located at 5,100
feet above sea level, is classified as "semidry", with a very
dry winter and spring and "semi warm" without a defined winter
season (averaging 8 days with frost each year). The average annual
temperature is 68° F. There is a "rainy season" with heavy
rains every day in the evening beginning around June and tapering off by
the end of August. The average annual precipitation is 32 inches.
What time zone are we in?
Ixtlahuacan de los Membrillos is in the Central Standard Time Zone.
Daylight-Savings Time is observed here.
Lake Chapala
Ixtlahuacan de los Membrillos is just a few minutes drive from Lake
Chapala, the largest freshwater lake in México. It is approximately 50
miles long from east to west and 11 miles wide from north to south,
covering a total of 425 square miles. It is very shallow however,
averaging only 15 feet in depth. Fishing was once a large industry in the
villages near the lake's edge, but continues to dwindle. Furthermore, the
lake and its mild winters have attracted the largest expatriate retirement
population in the world. "Discovered" after World War II, the
region now houses over 40,000 Europeans, Canadians and Americans. While
the lake has suffered in the past, recent intervention from activists'
group, the Mexican government and the international community insure its
future.
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