September 30 is the birthday of José María Teclo Morelos Pérez y Pavón, yet another hero of the Mexican war for independence. He was born in Valladolid, Michoacan which was renamed Morelia in his honor as was the state of Morelos. In those areas, a bit of a hoopla goes on in honor of the birthday boy. Not so much in other areas.
Miguel Hidalgo and Morelos
Morelos was a student at the school Colegio de San Nicolás Obispo where Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla was a teacher and became an ordained priest. He had three children with Brigida Almonte, two sons, and a daughter. He sent his oldest son Juan Nepomuceno Almonte to the United States both for educational and safety reasons.
Under Morelos’s military leadership, the fight for independence progressed. He headed the National Constituent Congress of Chilpancingo in 1813 which drafted the “Sentimientos de la Nación” (Sentiments of the Nation) declaring Mexico’s independence from Spain. Congress offered the title Generalissimo (Your Highness) to Morelos but he declined and asked to be called el Siervo de la Nación (Servant of the Nation).
Morelos was captured by the Spanish in 1815 tried for treason, disloyalty to the crown, and transgressions in his personal life. He was found guilty and sentenced to death by firing squad on December 22.
Morelos is found on the 50 peso note along with the state symbol, the Monarch butterfly. The reverse pictures the aqueduct in Morelia, the Bank of Mexico symbol and the prehispanic symbol for Michoacan. And yes, it is pink. Pink is an acceptable masculine color here in Mexico.
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Learn more about Mexican holidays and historical figures!
Bricks come in two colors, red and gray and are manufactured in different ways depending on the color. Red, or brown, bricks are kilned in Yuriria, about 40 minutes from here. They are sent to different towns by the truckload. The tabiqueros can be found lounging around their trucks waiting for customers. Bricks are currently between 2.90 and 3 pesos per brick. An entire load of bricks, which usually is about 1600 bricks can be purchased slightly cheaper than the cost per individual brick. The tabiqueros will take the bricks to your construction site, unload and stack them. Try to keep count of the stacked bricks so that you can be sure you are getting each and every brick you paid for.
Gray bricks are used for foundations and can be bought directly from the manufacturer, ladrillera mecanizada. The bricks are pressed out 6 at a time. Cement blocks are made in the same manner. One thousand of these pressed bricks currently costs $3000 pesos. Patio tiles, paving bricks, sewer pipes and roofing tiles are often sold at these establishments as well.
Grava (gravel), arena (construction dirt), relleno (reddish dirt used for fill), tierra (dirt suitable for landscaping) can be bought all at one location, usually manned by a pre-pubescent boy with a backhoe. You can buy these materials by the truckload and have them delivered or you can take your own truck and have the kid load you up. You can buy a certain peso amount or certain scoop measurement. You can have this same boy and backhoe come to your construction site and dig holes or fill in dirt for a nominal price per hour.
Scalfolding can be rented at places that display “renta de adamios.” Wood used for framing is rented from places that advertise “se renta madera de construcción and charged a monthly rate. You can request tarimas (standard size rectangular pallets used to form poured cement)and vigas (posts) along with miscellaneous wood pieces often cut to the size and specification you need. These items are all treated with oil for waterproofing so you might want to have them delivered to avoid staining your clothes or getting a nasty infection from a splinter. Make sure to keep track of how many pieces you rented, what sizes and when the rent is due.
If you are looking for screw, nails, bolts or nuts that are not your typical size, try the tornillería, that’s their specialty.
For plumbing, hire a plomero/electricista and get your supplies from el Plomería, or ferre-electrica store. Plumbing and electric are done differently here. Make sure your plumber/electrician is qualified. Often you’ll find those that are working here in Mexico were licensed in the U.S. before being deported. Hiring a plomero/electricista is one of the more costly parts of building but it pays to have it done right the first time. Boilas (hot water heaters) and stove fixtures are also installed by plomeros even though these are typically gas powered appliances.
The glass part of windows and doors are made by the vidriería who will again come and do measurements, cut the glass to size, deliver and install them for a set price. There are options for your glass. Vidrio chino is a type of glass with designs on it or opaque. Vidrio claro is regular glass. Vidrio filtrasol has a thin layer of UV shading. Espejo is mirror glass.
Láminas (corrugated tin sheeting) can be bought at the laminiería. but can also be found at most Ferreterías and even some Madererías. This is often 
Lighting fixtures and wiring are found at the Ferretería and ferre-electrica. Some electrical places are beginning to carry solar products as well, but most solar electricity items are found at their own little store.
Tinacos (those large water storage containers on the roof) for some reason are often sold at places where you get tile. Look for tinacos and tile displays at stores that sell pisos y azulejos (floors and tiles). Mosaico (mosaic) is the older, thick tile style. You’ll most likely also find toilets, sinks, and bathtubs at these stores.
Both exterior and interior paint can be bought at places that sell pinturas. Try to at least buy the mid-priced paint. Cheaper paints are mostly water and you’ll need several coats of paint for it to look nice. Just so you know, if you hire a painter, expect him to thin even the wateriest paint with water before applying. That’s just how they do it here.
There you have it! Now you know where to go for your construction materials. So what’s your next project?
