What A Great Time!

Today while riding on the upper deck of an open-air tourist bus around Guadalajara, we were literally drinking in the sunshine! Oh, must we return to winter weather!! We have enjoyed nearly every moment of this vacation in Mexico.
Yesterday morning we did another timeshare presentation because there wasn't time to do much else before hopping on the 20 minute plane ride from Puerto Vallerta back to Guadalajara (it saves 5 miserable hours on a bus to fly). The salesman was so rude and pushy there was nearly a fight! We had been teasing the night before that sitting through timeshare presentations might be a great full-time job for a retiree living in Mexico, but we found out that we are not cut out for it! We did receive our gifts without the security guard being called to escort us out so all-in-all it was a successful morning. They fed us a most delicious breakfast and we saw many dolphins playing offshore! As they say in Spanish, Esta padre! (It was cool!)
We went to a wonderful craft town this morning full of colonial buildings and colorful pottery. We have only one more meal in Mexico and it will take our willpower not to eat at La Chata's again. The food there is far too tasty!
Our room here, found on hotwire, is by far the fanciest! Pillowtop mattresses and real pillows sure beat sleeping on a rollaway mattress on the floor (Only Jodi suffered through this; what we do for love!)

In Puerto Vallarta

.We arrived in Puerto Vallarta on Saturday afternoon and found our dwelling. We have a nice little casita located in the Colonial center of town near the Cathedral. Ours is the smallest of the spaces in this delightful set of seven villas. There is a pool with gardens and a rooftop terrace overlooking the ocean. We are atop a very steep hill that runs down four blocks to the boardwalk, the Maledon. All along the boardwalk every block or so there are interesting sculptures, restaurants and shops. We have spent the last two nights walking the sun go down over the waves; there is a large pirate ship that lights up at night that is fun to watch.
We sat through a timeshare presentation in Nueva Vallarta, the huge new part of the city with the all-inclusive resorts, and received a colorful yarn painting as a gift, Keith has had his eye on them for many years. The property was impressive, but we have no interest or funds for such a luxury.
Yesterday evening we walked up and down the Rio Cuale Isle, very pretty with flowers and palm trees.
Today we took a day trip that involved snorkeling, hiking to and swimming in a waterfall, whale watching, dance contests, and much more. Shana did it all, she is a very good sport and doesn't hesitate to try it all
We are having a nice time here. The weather is warm and sunny, but not uncomfortably hot. This is a great time of year to be here beachside!!
Keith is doing better everyday. He sometimes opts out of walks and the other strenuous activities. He enjoys talking with people and is doing a lot of reading.
Tomorrow in the early afternoon we return to Guadalajara where we will spend two nights before flying home on Thursday. I will try to post some pictures a little later.

You can't stay forever...

Lake Chapala is a wonderful place to visit and would be an awesome choice for part-time living, October-April!! The weather is absolutely perfect, sunny, little wind, cool at night. We met so many interesting people here, mostly Canadian retirees.
Yesterday, Friday, we watched the Utes win on a big screen TV at Tom’s Bar which was nearly empty, thank goodness~ not too much cigarette smoke. Yes, Keith can no longer claim that he has never watched a football game, but it was a good game to break his perfect record.
Earlier in the day Shana & Keith were seriously considering staying on in Ajijic for another month; we spent a little time looking for a 2 bdrm casita, but no luck. If we had thought of it earlier in the week I would be coming home alone on the 8th!
Shana & I found the Yacht Club, which is a swank country club and inquired about sailing on the giant lake. It is done, though not in this ‘cold season’. We had to giggle at locals in their coats; we are warm in our light pants and a short-sleeved shirt. I guess even weather is perceived from your own lived experience.
We spent an hour or so at The Lake Chapala Society which is a city block space filled with gardens, tables for people to gather, casitas, information tables about upcoming events & tours, a lending library of both books and DVDs, game rooms, and lots more. It would be a very easy way to meet people because they sponsor all kinds of social activities and volunteering opportunities. They were able to point us in the direction of the Yacht Club and a legal office to begin the process to obtain Mexican medical insurance. It’s a very impressive organization in beautifully manicured gardens of tropical and succulent plants.
We did stroll through many art galleries and shops yesterday. We were considering purchasing an original painting but because it was recently featured on the cover of the Lake Chapala Review, the shop owner wasn’t sure of the selling price.
On the 1st day of 2009, Shana & I returned to the mineral springs baths and just relaxed the day away. Keith wanted to finish his book. We didn’t stay up late to usher in the New Year, however the neighbors did until the wee hours of the morning. Traditions for the New Year include burning bonfires in the streets along with booming fireworks (without colorful lights & colors, just noise.) The towns were smoky the next day; Shana’s eyes were quite irritated from the ash dust.
We had great fun going out to dinner with Peter, our Ajijic real estate agent, & his wife Elaine in Chapala Town on the 1st. The lakeside was packed with families, but we were able to get a table right away! They have lived here for 4 years and really love it!
We haven’t had a bad meal yet! The Mexican food all around the lake was outstanding; we’ve had some nice fish as well. It’s off to Weight Watchers for all three of us on our return.

Still in Ajijic~ living in paradise!

We've been having so much fun I got behind on the blog! We canned the idea of traveling to Morelia because it is just perfect here. The sunshine feels so good, it's peaceful yet there is much to do and our rooms have very comfortable beds!! We may never leave. In fact, we made an offer on a house in Chapala in a most incredible location, right behind the main church & mansion, only two blocks from the market. Alas, our bid was too low and it was rejected. It's really too early anyway to make that kind of commitment to one Mexican location for retirement, though we had great fun trying. Peter, our real estate agent, was fun to spend time with and he took us all over the lake front showing us the different neighborhoods. He even took us to pick up Shana Jan from the airport which saved us time & pesos.
Before Shana arrived on Monday we went to the natural mineral springs pools in San Juan Cosala which were very nice. The pools that we chose were in a hotel right on the lake shore. The grounds were beautiful with flowers, palm springs and a little cafe. There were various beach chairs for lounging after soaking in the very hot jacuzzi or the more mildly warmed pool. The smell wasn't overwhelming like the natural springs we used to frequent in Midway. There was a eucalyptus sauna that was HOT!!! We are going back tomorrow. We missed the mud baths and water slides so it will be a perfect place to spend New Year's Day. You can also get massages, facials, all the fancy stuff.
Last night we went into Chapala and walked along the boardwalk while the sun went down after we had a lovely meal. We have eaten too well each day. Our B & B has a great breakfast and then we eat out in the late afternoon.
Today we went to the artist market in Ajijic where little purchases were made. It was a colorful, happy place.
Feliz Ano Nuevo! I will post photos as soon as I can!

A Sunny Day in Chapala

As we were eating our breakfast in the B & B, we were discussing the plans for the day. "Wouldn't it be fun to check our real estate around this lovely lake?" (just for fun!) Lo & behold...two men appeared, one a real estate agent and the other, a client from Denver. We tried to invite ourselves, but it didn't take.
We headed to Chapala on our own.
The town was quite delightful, sunny and very warm, of course. We walked, hobbled really, along the lakeside. We sat and read in the sun, went to lunch on the porch of the mansion overlooking the lake, considered taking a little tourist bus around town when suddenly, out of nowhere appears the real estate agent, Peter, and his client, Jeff. We joined them a little house hunting excursion. Rest assured, no purchases have been made, only cash talks in this country. If this lake was sailable, we would be sold! But unfortunately it is overcome by water lilies and at it's greatest depth only 14 feet deep, so only a catamaran would suffice.
However, sometimes 'the place finds you', or so we were told last night by a most interesting, and handsome, German artist, who recently relocated from France. He also assured us that he has never been bored here, quite the opposite he said, the social scene is very vibrant for a creative/spiritual soul. Interesting....
We continue to run into the same travelers in our short stay, very nice people. One woman in particular we will hope sincerely to see again, a very sweet woman from Vancouver who has an infinity with Alta, as do we.
Enough for now... until manana, Ciao!

Lakeside for La Navidad

Ajijic is a charming village on Lake Chapala. It is full of art stores, cafes & bars, spas housed in colorful old buildings, and Gringos! We thought we wouldn’t enjoy the presence of so many Ex-Pats, though they are mostly Canadians, but the last two days have been filled with many interesting encounters with travelers and people who have made Lake Chapala home, at least from November through April. The weather is perfect year-round, the sun shines so brilliantly and it’s warm but not hot. The evenings during this time of year are cool which makes for great sleeping.

We spent Christmas Eve and Day just relaxing in the Plaza and in our B & B, which is comfortable. We are the only guests tonight so the housekeepers are taking good care of us! The place is perfectly situated, just two blocks from the bus stop back to Guadalajara and two blocks to the Plaza and Church where there is a very nice café. Today we might take a tour of available real estate, just for fun. More likely, we will visit the town of Chapala and then sit in the hot springs in San Juan Cosala.
Tomorrow, Saturday, we plan to return to Guadalajara so that we can take advantage of the free admission day at the various museums there.
Shana Jan arrives on Monday afternoon. At this point we are thinking of taking a side trip to Morelia and Patzucaro in the state of Michoacon. Those are both very highly recommended, smaller colonial towns.

Exploring Guadalajara

Guadalajara is quite the shopping town. Every other shop sells shoes. The streets are packed in the afternoon with people toting bags of purchases; maybe it's just the Christmas rush?
There are many colonial buildings here surrounded by plazas full of trees, fountains, and luckily for Keith, benches. We purchased a new set of crutches today because our first day out was very difficult for Keith even though we stopped every block to rest. It was better today with the crutches to help take the weight off his foot.
We took a bus ride to the suburb of Tonala renowned for their crafts, especially pottery. Every family home is a craft store as well. We wonder who buys everything you see. Most of the wares are for decorative purposes only.
We toured a couple of churches and a ceramic museum before taking a break for a little lunch. Ahhh... hot corn tortillas. It's no wonder most Mexicans have extra rolls around their bellies!!
After we returned to Guadalajara center, while Keith was resting, I took a long walk around town. There are many lovely old buildings. Quite a few streets are blocked off to traffic for pedestrian use, which is wonderful. The traffic in this town is dreadful!
Tomorrow morning we leave for Lake Chapala, an hour bus ride away, where we will spend 3 nights. We are considering going to Morelia for a couple of nights after that, arriving back in Guadalajara to meet Shana Jan on the 29th.
Feliz Navidad!