A MORNING WALK

The Guard for the Tienda

     How  could anything be better than a morning walk to the square in Ajijic?  The air is soft and warm and clean.  The sun is bright and the sky has filmy white clouds breaking up the clear blue.  There is a light breeze blowing that just adds a feeling of contentment.  
     The cobblestone side walks and streets are still sprinkled with confetti and white flour left from the most recent parades.  The dogs are quiet this morning probably completely tired out from last nights barking and running around. The birds are calling one another in various songs which are lovely to hear.  It is quiet now, no cars, very few people.  I walk along the sunny side of the street.
     The walk takes me by Ninette’s a very nice restaurant, closed now, of course, and by The Only Chocolate shop which is also closed at this time.  Good for me.  The homes along the street are painted many beautiful colors and the nondescript doors lead to mysterious and sometimes very beautiful gardens and homes.  Always interesting to see behind the walls.
     If I do pass someone, I say, “Buenas Dias”, in my very best Spanish and most seem to understand me.  I do hear lots of accents, U.S. accents, from Texas, Mississippi and many other recognizable accents of the states,  then there are the Canadians, eh.
     At the square, its about 10:30 am and there is a line up  of gringos waiting to eat brunch in the Jardin.  All are dressed similarly - just like me.  Most of the older men wear a beard and mustache like Pete and have bought a straw colored hat to go with their sandals and shorts.  That’s the uniform for us old folks.  Although you can wear anything you feel like wearing so I was told by a woman who has lived here 20 years and loves it.  She was Flossie the hummingbird lady originally from Spokane.  Pedro, who wore a very large hat festooned with artificial flowers, many necklaces and rings and other interesting costumes, died recently and is missed by all especially the white burro he rode.
     I am seeing quite a few more young people this year and I mean real young, like 20’s and 30’s or on a honeymoon or something.  Even the old people are younger or is it that I am older.  This does seem like a very good place to live a healthy life.  The warmth, the altitude, the fruits and vegetables and the seafood, all contribute to a healthy lifestyle along with walking on cobblestones.
     On the way home I will walk on the shady side and be just as impressed with the ease of it all.

Last Parade Before Lent

There was a small parade on Saturday and music and dance, a little larger parade on Sunday, a bit larger party on Monday, and a real blow out Fat Tuesday Parade. The children get a real kick out of running "away" from the clowns (men dress up as women) who chase them and shower them with flour. A long time tradition which probably once meant something - maybe the flour chased away the bad demons. Those characters dance and act up at every intersection and throw flour on the crowd and also confetti. Of course, there are floats! Maybe not like the Rose Parade but some of them have beautiful girls dancing hula or wearing beautiful white gowns and waving. They throw candy. Other floats have men dressed up - one in particular made the crowd really laugh - it said "Por Gulpa del Alcohol Una Boda Resulta" and had a very large man in a white brides gown with another large man in a mariachi suit, some of the attendants were dressed as mariaches but they were women dressed as men. There was also a float with "women" in some scanty clothes posing alluringly. The side walks were crowded with families, grandparents and small babies. There was so much talk and laughter at all the flour throwing and who became covered with it. Most of it was thrown at pretty teenaged senoritas who laughted and screamed. We did get caught in a little flour but were not really the target. What fun!

We stopped by a little hole in the wall to get a drink and ended up having lunch - a wet("drowned") bagette pork sandwich and a coke. We had never had one and enjoyed it as well as talking to the owner, an older senora who spoke only Spanish.

We are enjoying our guests very much. They are adventureous and independent. We have tried lots of fruits and veggies - today we bought cactus leaves (nopales) which we will cook. Also bought a different kind of squash and some ceviche. A while ago we bought a fruit named, mame, which was good for one taste for everyone and then we threw it away. Maybe we needed someone to tell us how to prepare it. We like to experiement.

Don't want to get too carried away with this blog so I'll find a nice picture and be blogging you later.

BACK IN AJIJIC

Here we are again in Paradise. We arrived Februay 1st and met the owners of the house we have rented. They showed us around and were very friendly and helpful. This house is hacienda style, an open concept, with a garden in the middle. Of course, from the street it looks like nothing. The decor is very tasteful, the kitchen is terrific (as if we really cared, but we are doing some cooking). There are lots of flowers and plants and even a fountain in the middle of the garden.

We have friends staying with us now and we are happy that they seem to be enjoying the town and the atmosphere as much as we do. We try not to eat out every day but we are sampling some of the excellent restaurants that are here.

We have visited the tianguis (outdoor market). It is here every Wednesday and in Chapala on Fridays. They have almost everything that you might need and a lot of stuff you just have to exclaim about. All the fruits and vegetables you could want.

We have been deprived of seeing parades so far and look forward to next Sunday. We have signed up for a tour of the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary near Morelos for next week. The week after I have 4 days of painting with Efren Gonzales. I am really looking forward to that. Others of our friends are going on day tours to Guadalajara and around the lake. Enough for now, I'll keep you updated on our adventures in beautiful Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexico.

Music and Mexicans

Friday night we went with Helen and Doug to opening night of the Northern Lights 7th annual music festival. What beautiful music! Held in the "auditorio" in Ajijic, the acoustics were perfect, and at about 450 people the event was sold out. Organizers had brought together outstanding musicians from the UK, Canada, US and Mexico to form the best chamber orchestra you ever heard. During a 2 1/2 hour program my favorite was Los Cuatro Estaciones (The Four Seasons) by Astor Piazzolla. As a tribute to Vivaldi there are occasional echos of some of his melodies, but the work is mostly based on a tango/jazz combination that is irrresistable. We'll go back for more this week. Find out more at http://www.northernlightsmusic.ca/ .

This was the first event that we have attended where it seemed that the entire audience was composed of Americans and Canadians. Ajijc is not like a seaside resort. Here the english-speaking community mixes well with the Mexicans. We have only found a few restaurants, loncherias, and fondas where the majority of diners are not Mexican. The same is true in the grocery stores and drug stores. Despite the numbers of Americans and Canadians who have made this area their home this is still a very Mexican town. All of the streets are cobblestone except for the main highway through town. Many of the Mexicans keep horses, and wherever you are you can often see and hear horses on the cobblestone streets. Of course ATVs, smart cars, vans and trucks are more common. There is always music being played, and several times every week there is some traditional activity--never fakey stuff for tourists, but always by and for the Mexican people who live here.

Another Week in Paradise

We can't believe that the time is going by so fast! Joan has come and gone - we had so much fun showing her around. I think she liked it. Now, we will be losing our friends Doug and Helen to the world of the cold and wet.

We went to a "Bull Fight" on the day of Carnival. They had a huge crowd for the Carnival Parade. It was great to watch all of the children and young people. Men dressed as women with balloons here and there (it seems to be a thing around this time of the year) chasing young boys mostly and throwing lots of flour or confetti. At times the air was white from all the flour and of course the boys all loved it. There is a story there but I can't remember it now. The Bull Fight was more like a rodeo. A man rode the big bull until he was thrown and men on horseback then roped the bull and led him back out. Of course, I think the bull was experienced in all of it and put on a good show. The men on the horses then showed off how their horses could "dance" to this raucous music which was played by a very enthusiastic bunch of young men. The people loved it and a group of macho men had a party going near us with a tray of lime, tequila and beer. All kinds of food was offered including a lot of very healthy fruits and vegetables and nuts. Everyone had a wonderful time.

Helen and Doug found a cooking class for us. It was conducted by the chef of OleOla - Herb Hazen, who just happens to be from Seattle. We cooked some delicious beans, chicken and shrimp, a catalon pizza - um um good, and a custard. We had lots of wine while we "helped" and then we ate what we cooked. It was a hard day so Pete and I walked home for some well deserved rest.

Visitors, More Music, More Art in Ajijic

Our friend, Joan, arrived on Valentines Day, so here is a picture of her driver giving her a box of candy. She was thrilled because she couldn't remember the name of the town. The word, Ajijic is pretty easy to forget. We have tried to show her as much as we know and discover more with her.

We took a home tour (by this time Helen Z and Doug were here) and saw examples of houses in various areas that were for sale. I think we all agreed that only one would fit our needs but we weren't in the market really. We wanted to see different neighborhoods in order to get toknow the area better. We saw Rancho del Oro, The Racquet Club, an in town condo, and a really nice in town home. It was quite a day.

Joan discovered a wonderful b and b and relocated to it after the third night in her original place. She found Casamalcolm on the corner of Donato and 16 de Septembre. Malcolm is a great guy, very outgoing. The BnB has only 3 rooms and they are comfortable and well appointed. The price is reasonable and Joan says the breakfasts are excellent. This is located just up the street from the Hotel Nueva Pasodo where Helen Z is staying.

Helen decided to take a drawing class with me so she is working very hard. The class is taught by Karl Barnhart who insists he can teach anyone to draw. His method is to teach simple techniques whether it is by grid, tracing, or measuring. Then he teaches shading etc. All of this is done with graphite and eraser. Anyway, we are working hard and there are only 6 in the class so all get individual attention.

There was a Mariachi Concert at the Hotel Real in La Floresta which we attended. It was outstanding. A group of four or five violins, two trumpets, one or two guitars and a large bass guitar and each of the men had operatic voices. They were wonderful and really a bit of a surprise, we had no idea what we were getting into. One of the violinists did a solo that sounded like Paganini. Surprisingly beautiful, it way exceeded expectations.

Took a trip to Chapala yesterday with Joan. We had lunch in the Beer Garden Restaurant which has been there since - the beginning. We walked along the malecon and visited some vendors along the way. We saw lots of white pelicans and children swimming. The day was just perfect temperature wise. Almost all days here are perfect.

This is Joan's last day so we will take her to a nice restaurant which is close by our place - Roberto's then we have to get up tomorrow very early to escort her to the airport in Guadalajara.

Just a Little Crowing

Our friend, Mike asked some good questions. Here's our answer.

Your questions are so good that they deserve to be answered in our (really mainly Elva's) blog. Elva found this place on line. She thought we'd meet more people in a B and B. So we booked this last April. We were paid in full in September. Then in December they called and asked if we would mind being bumped to a casita--a little house under a bigger house--a few blocks away. OK, if we still got the brunches that we had paid for. Being moved here was very lucky for us because it is roomy and quiet, and the rooms in the BandB are small. Do not do what we did. Next time we will be more flexible. If we come we'll stay 4 or 5 months. The weather is always perfect, so why not? Maybe book a hotel for a week, then just come down and look at a few of the many houses that are for rent. Depending on view,etc., you can rent a fully furnished house with maid and gardener for between $500 and $700 US per month. I know, it is hard to break a lifetime of habits which have served us well, but it really is the best way.

That leads to the next matter. There are also plenty of car rentals at the airport and here in Ajijic. My friend Steve met us at the airport. Good thing. The man at the BandB forgot he said he would meet us. We got there to get the keys and he had gone home for the day! With Steve's help and many calls from Steve's house over about 6 hours we finally got our place open fairly late at night. Of course, a taxi from the airport is not expensive and a hotel would be open and waiting. Have to remember that this is Mexico and not let any little thing bother you. What important thing do you have to do anyway.

No real cooking yet. A big brunch, we usually only have one more meal. Many excellent restaurants at very reasonable prices. We walk a lot, so we pick up fixin's at little tiendas nearby. Today dinner was a bolillo for about 7 cents--very delicious french roll--with some ham, cucumber, mayo, and some avocado from the tree in our yard. I had hoped to lose some weight. It seems to be working.
I have been working on learning spanish for 5 years. There is opportunity to use it here--but it's not necessary. A few words help, but so many anglophones live here full time that english serves very well. There are many plays,musicals, excursions, etc., by and for the anglo community. Even on the bus you can get by in english.

Money, cars and other info

We have found that "Effectivo" or cash is almost the only way to pay here in Ajijic. The dentist took American Express but otherwise checks, credit cards or travelers check are not accepted. The dollar has gone up from about 10 to 1 to about 14 to 1 so it is pretty simple to keep track.

We also learned that when you live here you can get car license tabs from South Dakota through the mail. It looks as if all of South Dakota is here along with Canadians but the mail-in tab thing and the low cost is the answer.

We are talking to many people about where they live and how long they stay. We are full of questions and everyone is so helpful with information and suggestions. We visited the American Legion in Chapala and met a woman who works there and gave us all kinds of good info. The American Legion has many activities throughout each month and a monthly publication.

We really, really are enjoying the weather here! The birds are so beautiful and there are very few pesty bugs like mosquitos and flies.

Living in Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexico in January 2009

We are enjoying the mild weather and the wonderful scenery and great food of Ajiic. We have met people from many states and from Canada. All escaping the cold weather. Our "casita" is very nice and convenient to the little town and to the lake. This week we have visited Guadalajara and Tlaquepaque (a beautiful artsy town) on Sunday when all of the tourists from the city visit too. During this time a thief (probably an inside job) stole Steve's Nissan Z car and some other stuff from his house in Ajijic. This is his first burglary in 6 years here. Anyway, he dealt with the police and insurance etc on Monday and we house sat and TV watched on Tues while he followed up on paper work.. The police came soon after he left and they had found his car and wanted Pete to come with them to identify it. I did not have my camera ready to take a photo of Pete being taken away by the police. Too Bad. He made it back okay. One of the police had lived in Renton.

We have taken a bus tour around the lake (Lake Chapala) thru all of the very little no gringo towns and learned a lot of history of the area. Of course we visited churches and city halls and we saw pelicans on the lake by the hundreds near a very very small fishing village. Yesterday, Fri, we attended a reading of a play by the Lake Chapala Society members and tonight we will go to a musical production. Lots of things to do each day. Next week we look into classes. I'll try to attach a picture of something.