On Saturday, June 19th, 2010, I was fortunate enough to be invited to the wedding of Yolanda Martinez Llamas (from Yoly’s Hair Salon in Ajijic, Lake Chapala) and Juan Manuel Reyna Robles.

The wedding was held at the beautiful Casona La Nou (www.casonalanou.com) in Cuidad Granja in Guadalajara.

We arrived at this lovely venue for events at approx. 4:00 pm and were greeted with tequila and rum cocktails and hors d’oeuvres of empanadas, guacamole and fresh strawberries with cream.

The ceremony was at 5:00 pm and a radiant Yoly descended the winding staircase holding the hand of her young grandson. Yoly wore cream satin and her grandson looked very handsome in his little ensemble complete with bowtie.

Both of Yoly’s daughter’s (Yoly and Gaby) were in attendance along with other close friends and family members numbering close to 400.

The ceremony was held in the marbled ballroom and several family members made short speeches. Yoly said “She had won the lottery without buying a ticket” and her daughter
“Yoly” said that Juan Manuel was taking their jewel”. These were a couple of comments that will stand out in my memory of this very special day.

After the ceremony we returned to the outdoor tent which was decorated with splashes of bright blue on the tables and chairs and fabulous white flower arrangements on each table.

The staff was extremely attentive to us and then at 6:30 pm we were served a fresh salad in a pasty cornucopia followed by stuffed chicken, carrots, beets and mashed potatoes (more…)

New Year’s Eve in Ajijic, Lake Chapala

Well Navidad is over and we are all thinking about New Year’s Eve.

There are many excellent New Year’s Eve celebrations in Ajijic, Lake Chapala at many good restaurants. Check the advertisements in The Colony Reporter for options. The evening runs between $900.00 to $1,500.00 pesos per person and reservations are required.

Our favorite has always been La Nueva Posada. The hotel is beautifully decorated with bright lights and colorful streamers and decorations and party favors are on every table. There are corsages for the ladies. There is a wonderful set gourmet dinner of several courses with a bottle of champagne for every two people. Some years there is a splendid firework display after midnight. They have Mariachis and music for dancing and it is truly a wonderful evening. When my dear father was alive we would always go to La Nueva Posada in Ajijic and he would comment it was the best party he had ever attended. (more…)

Last night we were invited to a Mexican birthday party for the daughter of very dear friends of ours at their home on Lake Chapala. We were invited for 6:00pm but arrived at 6:30pm and, of course, were the first ones there.

When we drove to their home we had not been to that part of Lake Chapala is some time and the view when we reached the lake was breathtaking. The water is very high at the moment and lapping up on the shore like the ocean with the same wonderful sounds of the waves. The sun was setting and lit up the sky in a magnificent array of colors and we reflected again how lucky we are to live in paradise.

Back to our time of arrival. You would think that after so many years living in Ajijic/Lake Chapala we would have learned that an invitation for 6:00 pm means that people usually start streaming in around 10:00pm. Evidently, the Mexican rule of thumb is to start getting ready for the event at the time you were invited. (more…)

There are many fine restaurants and great bars to attend in the Ajijic/Lake Chapala area.

Starting with restaurants…

La Nueva Posada not only offers fine continental cuisine, but it is also a charming inn located on the lakeshore. Offering gorgeous accomadations and old world charm, LNP is a landmark building that is a must see for those who visit the picturesque village of Ajijic. It is the only full service 4 Star hospitality establishment in Ajijic. Their hotel is highly recomended by all major travel books and magazines. Music for dancing on Saturday nights. (more…)