Activities

Have you ever fantasized about living in the lakeside area before it became popular with the expats? When it was just a small town? I have and sometimes I have wished I could go back in time for just a day to see it as it was then. Well, I took the bus to San Nicolas yesterday and it looked very much like the photos of Ajijic many years ago.  It isn't too late!  It is just a short walk to the water from...

Before I moved to Mexico I had the idea that I would settle near the smaller lake instead of Lake Chapala. I figured it would be less crowded than the popular Chapala area and less expensive.  But I have lived here for eight years and never bothered to even visit it until this last weekend. I had forgotten my previous plan of settling there. (Life was too good at the Lake Chapala area.) It was not a bad...

The thirteenth annual Feria Maestros del Arte was held at the Chapala Yacht Club on November 14th, 15th, and 16th. It was from ten a.m. to five p.m. (Ten to four on Sunday) and the entrance fee was just fifty pesos. I went the first two days and had a wonderful time. There were  many beautiful crafts from all over Mexico. I could only afford two small bowls. But for people who wanted to buy some of the...

I was a bit disappointed in the Catrina dolls this year, both in Ajijic and Chapala. You can form your own opinion after reading this article and referring back to the one I wrote last year on the same subject. The main problem--not as many as there were last year. In Chapala last year the dolls were all along the main malecon. This year, they did not start until the end of the malecon and then over to the...

The Day of the Dead is one of the most popular holidays in Mexico. It celebrates the great circle of life--the passing of some and the birth of others. The dead are always remembered and kept alive in spirit in the hearts of Mexicans. Altars are put up on November 1st and 2nd. Sometimes these have been started weeks in advance and Mexicans put lots of thought and money into creating these altars. They are...

Have you ever thought of having your own TTW dance? TTW stands for Thrill the World.  It is easy. Apply through their website. Thrilltheworld.com. Fill out the forms. Pay the 25 dollar registration fee. Get a bunch of people together to practice the dance. Dress everyone up as Zombies and have the dance. Collect money for your favorite charity.  This Michael Jackson TTW concept started in 2006. At that...

Every year the Globo Event happens the weekend before the 16th of September Revolution Day festivities. It is the kickoff for an entire week of celebrations. These Globos are made out of very thin, slick and light paper. They are fragile and will burn or tear easily. Many of them do not make it into the air. Especially the larger ones because they bend down in the wind and then the fire below them burns...

The festivities during the week before Revolution Day include many things in the Ajijic Plaza. Almost every evening something is going on. One of my favorite events is the Reboso Parade. It took place this year on Sept. 15th. It is a special time for the young girls and older women to shine. Rebosos are shawls and the Mexican women take great pride in their shawls.  They have a parade around the plaza...

I took a boat ride to Scorpion Island over the weekend. Or as it is called in Spanish, Isla Alacranes. First off, it is not called that because it is filled with Scorpions. It is because from above, it looks like the shape of a scorpion.  I had been putting off this trip because we are in the rainy season and there is no telling when a downpour will arrive. Fortunately, there was no rain on Saturday when...

Another Can Am Day celebration has rolled around. This is my third year of writing about it. If you are ever in the area at this time of the year, be sure to be part of it. It is always between the Canadian Independence day, July 1st, and the American Independence day, July 4th. This year it was held on July 2nd. It is held at the Lake Chapala Society. Entrance to the Lake Chapala Society The gate...