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!

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Estamos aqui en Guadalajara! We are here in Guadalajara!!

Our flights were nearly uneventful. Jodi was enjoying a cherry cough drop as we sat down on the 1st flight. The Texan woman behind us rudely remarked that someone was wearing menthol Bengay rub and she was certainly going to throw-up from the odor. (“I already have a headache.”) J immediately spit it out. The woman's daughter, probably 5 years old, kicked K’s seat and talked/sang at the top of her lungs the whole trip without either parent shushing her. Of course, we didn’t say a word, just put in some earplugs as tightly as they would fit and pretended to sleep.
We spent the night in Dallas at a Drury Inn. They served us dinner & breakfast as well as transporting us to and from the airport so we were very happy campers. We also watched a romantic, boring movie.
We met a very nice Mexican-American, Sara, and her grandson, Carlos, at the Dallas airport and passed the time pleasantly chatting in Spanish as we waited for the flight to Guadalajara.
We were very lucky that Jodi was able to travel on the same flight as Keith…stand-by works! The American gatekeepers broke the international rules by letting us fly stand-by and they bumped other lucky people into 1st class to make room in coach. Very kind!
The taxi ride from the airport to the city center here in Guadalajara is quite ugly. We remarked later that both of us wondered what Shana Jan will think on that journey. On the way Keith discussed the economic struggles of both Mexico and the US with the taxi driver. The driver remarked how hopeful he is for the future with OBAMA… less than 30 days away now! He guessed that we were Canadians and instead of responding “thank you” as I have in the past, I sat thinking I am once again proud to be an American. These are hopeful times.
Our hotel, Posada Regis, is an 130 year old home converted into a 19 room inn. It looks a bit scary on the outside but quite elegant on the inside, simple, but adequate (at $34.00 a night, no complaining here). We have two second-floor balcony walkouts with Christmas decoration at an arm’s length.
Right below our window is the highly recommended restaurant, La Chata. We stood in line for 30 minutes to get seated at four in the afternoon, a very good sign. A waiter came by with a tray of free beers twice to help sweeten the wait; that was the first time I’ve experienced that! Our meal was outstanding!! Next time we will split what Keith ordered, Carne Asada, and still both need a rest after we eat.
Keith is napping now. He is getting by without complaining at all though I know he hurts. We will be traveling more slowly than is our custom. We feel very blessed to be here together.
I am listening to the new Mana CD on my laptop as I write my memories of the past two days. We will take a little stroll two blocks down to the Cathedral to people-watch soon. Tomorrow we will begin to explore what Guadalajara, Mexico’s 2nd largest city and home to 6,000,000 people has to offer.
Best wishes to all of our readers for a peaceful pre-Christmas preparation time. A big thank you to our daugher & parents for their support of our annual Holiday excursion. And thanks to our dear friend Victor for loving and caring for the Airedale.

Making Plans & Getting Very Excited

We are planning to depart from SLC on Saturday, December 20 at 2:30 pm. We will spend the 1st night in Dallas/Ft. Worth. Keith is ticketed to leave around 11:30 am on Sunday; Jodi will try standby, but is ticketed for 7 pm.
We fly to Guadalajara, Mexico's 2nd largest city, where the adventure begins.