Ajijic

The Lake Chapala Society is located in the heart of Ajijic, on 16th of September St. #16-A. It is also the heart of the lives of most  expats here. It is the first place I was taken to visit when I arrived in Ajijic. I used the bulletin board to look for a rental. Every time I go there, I see what is new up on the boards. Salesmen at the Front Gate of the  Lake Chapala Society The grounds open a...

From the Dictionary: Expat, exile, expatriate, a person who is voluntarily absent from home or country. It is harder for me to write about the expats than the Mexicans. It is acceptable to claim ignorance of the Mexicans’ lives since I am an outsider. But I am an expat. I have no excuse for my meager knowledge of the expat society here. My only explanation is that I am an outsider, not a joiner. This...

Wednesday is my favorite day of the week because it is market day. I love to shop at the outdoor market. I live just a couple of blocks from it. I buy all my food for the week there except milk, bacon and toilet paper. I also like to sometimes have breakfast at Salvador’s Restaurant with my friends. Salvador’s is busy all day on Wednesdays. Salvador's Restaurant Some of the sellers are what I...

Within the last couple of years, Ajijic has built a beautiful new malecon along the waterfront.  There is a pier and the malecon goes off to the right of it, towards the west. There is a restaurant at the end of the pier. I have never eaten in it so I can’t tell you anything about the food or the prices. I have had a beer at the bar they also own. It has outside stools. I like to sit there and watch the...

The Real de Chapala is located in Lower La Floresta, just a couple of blocks from my little casita. It is easy to find if you know about it. There is a sign pointing towards it to the left as you come in on the main road (Carretera) from Chapala towards Ajijic. I didn’t notice that sign.  I walked around this neighborhood for many months until I noticed the hotel. It is hidden among beautiful homes....

When I first moved to this area, I had a torn and twisted meniscus in my knee. I hate to go to doctors and in the States I had no medical insurance. I limped around on it for fourteen months. Finally, I couldn’t stand the pain any longer and I hobbled into Dr. Leon’s office on the carretera in Ajijic. I had heard many great stories about him from the Americans around the Lake Chapala Society. He looked...

West Ajijic is one of my favorite areas near the lake.  I walk out there often. It has a quiet, country feeling. The further out you go, the less populated it becomes and then you run into gated communities and elegant two story homes beside corn fields.  You might see cows, donkeys or chickens in the fields. Sometimes they are in the road. Don’t worry. They won’t attack you.  If they get close,...