Children's Day was Tuesday April 30th in Mexico. No classes on that day, just games and parties, pinatas and other great things for the children to do. In 1954, the General Assembly of the United Nations recommended that all countries institute a Universal Children's Day.  So this is a huge holiday all over the world, not just in Mexico. Most countries celebrate it on June 1st. The celebration in this...

Escaramuza in Spanish means skirmish. Another meaning is, "Riding from the heart." This one took place at the Ajijic bull ring on Sunday, April 7th. 2013. It was an all woman's horse show. It was a combination of equestrian skills, handcrafted tack, beautiful costumes, music and food. It is a rich heritage of living folk traditions dating back hundreds of years. Boy helping his father with...

March 30th 2013 Semana Santa and Semana Pascua, translates into "Holy Week" (Starts on Palm Sunday until Easter Saturday) and "Easter Week". They are both very celebrated holidays in Mexico, especially Semana Santa, since the Lake Chapala region and Mexico in general is predominantly a Catholic society. The Holy Week celebrates the last few days of the life of Jesus Christ. Many towns in Mexico...

This last weekend went to the dogs in the Lakeside area. Saturday evening at Salvador's Restaurant in Ajijic, Anita's Animals had a big spaghetti fund raiser for her shelter out in San Juan Cosala. On Sunday, there was another fun raiser near Santa Cruz at the new Lucky Dog shelter. It was their grand opening and they had free hot dogs and cold drinks. Unfortunately, I am only one person and I had already...

The 35th Annual Mexican National Chili Cook-Off was held on the 22, 23,24, of February in Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexico. Their hours were from 11 to 5 p.m. every day. It was held at the Tobolandia Water Park on the Libramiento. This year it was closer into the water park and away from the dust that we had to experience the past couple of years. The weather was beautiful. Entrance fee was only twenty pesos and it...

February 23th 2013 Every year since 1978 the Chili Cook of in Lake Chapala has been a very popular event. Contestants from all over town come to see if their chili gets voted as the best Chili in Ajijic. This year it is anniversary number 35 for the cook off, thousands of visitors were present. Many vendors from all over town participate to introduce their service or product, musical groups come to play...

February 16th 2013 The Ajijic Art Festival is a yearly event hosted by local artist and the new Ajijic Cultural Director "Efren Gonzalez". The street it takes place on is "Marcos Castellanos" and there were over 40 exhibitors, entrance fee was only 10 pesos. Frida Kahlo, was the character used at both entrances to the event, the whole block is locked down for the weekend so exhibitors, local and foreign...

Mardi Gras is a French word meaning Fat Tuesday. Fat Tuesday refers to eating rich and fatty foods the day before fasting of the Lent Season. Ash Wednesday starts off Lent.  Fat Tuesday is sometimes referred to as Shrove Tuesday from the word Shrive. Shrive means "confess" which relates to the Lent season. Fat Tuesday is the last day of Carnival season, a time of parties and letting go of inhibitions...

February 12th 2013 One of Ajijics favorite traditions is the Mardi Gras Carnaval Parade aka "Fat Tuesday" held every year on the second Tueday of February right before Ash Wednesday. When you hear the word Mardi Gras you are probably thinking of New Orleans or Rio de Janeiro and lots of extravagant floats and beads, well it is a little different than that. While the local tradition does have floats...

The Mardi Gras parade was held in Chapala along the main road on Sunday, February 10th. It was scheduled to start at ten a.m. Since I am always early to things, I arrived at nine thirty. It didn't get started until eleven thirty. In my article about the Carnival, I had promised take photos after the parade of the car show in the Carnival. Plus photos of the beautiful young women in the car show and...