We all have mixed feelings about Walmart being in our village in the sun of Ajijic, Lake Chapala.

As I am fond of saying I would not have voted for them to be here but now that they are I do use it not exclusively but I do use it nonetheless.

There have been a few issues with scams going on inside by perpetrators asking other shoppers for help and while they are distracted an accomplice steals their purse or wallet. My advice to that is if someone asks you for help refer them to the manager and move one clutching your purse firmly. I keep my pursed zipped and strapped into my basket when I shop at Walmart as an added precaution.

There has also been the issue of expensive items such as meat not finding their way into your basket after checkout. So I now watch that everything is, in fact, put into my basket before I head for the parking lot.

There have been complaints about some people working the parking lot with various scams so keep your wits about you and do not engage with anyone you do not know.
(more…)

On Sunday morning our son and his bride had the Ford Explorer packed to the rafters and headed off to Toronto, Canada via Dallas, Texas and Virginia. All the necessary preparations had been made including insurance, new US license plates, all paperwork for the vehicle, passports, exit visas etc.

Getting across the border from Mexico to the US can be a tricky business, at best, depending on the agent you get at the crossing and their mood when you pull into their lane.

The thought of customs people going through all the stuff was daunting not because there was anything to hide but because there was so much. Everything from paintings to salad spinners and the usual assortment of electronic devices were carefully jimmied into their space and I doubt if you could have fit another manila envelope into the vehicle.

They had a route all planned out but at the last minute they heard about another route through Matehuala in the Mexican state of San Luis Potosi. The reason they chose to go this route was, from all accounts, it was a very safe place to stop overnight with an overloaded vehicle. Evidently, the hotel Las Palmas happily accepts pets which is a plus for many travelers.

They left about noon on Sunday and arrived in Matehuala by 8:00 pm that night. They had a good night’s sleep and crossed the border into the US without incident the next day and were in Dallas, Texas by 11:00 pm last night.

They will stay in Dallas for a couple of days visiting relatives and getting any more necessary paperwork and then will head out again for more relatives’ fabulous cabin retreat in Virginia. They will stay here for another couple of days and then head north to Toronto, Canada.

They should arrive in Toronto early next week where they have friends and family eagerly awaiting their arrival.

We are all hoping the crossing into Canada will be as straightforward as the one into the US. .

This trip was a massive undertaking for newlyweds especially as the driver was recovering from a dislocated shoulder but they are happy and glad to be starting their new life.

We wish them safe travel for the rest of the trip and I am the first to admit that I will not rest easy until I know they are both safe and sound in Toronto.

We had 13 family members here in Ajijic, Lake Chapala from the US and Canada for our son’s wedding earlier this month.

No one had asked “Is it safe or will we be OK?”. Everyone happily hopped on a plane and came to support the family. Granted it is not terrific weather in Toronto at this time of year but nonetheless…
(more…)

Ask any real estate broker/agent and they will tell you that the best security for your property is a barking dog.

We have had dogs since we moved here in 1994. We rented a house that had in its garage a mother dog and her five new puppies. One of the conditions of the rental was that we allowed the dogs to stay until the person looking after the house for the owners could find the puppies good homes. As we had 2 children aged 10 and 12 we readily agreed.

Our son fell in love with the mother dog a beautiful cross between a Doberman and a Lab and I knew we would probably take a puppy too. We did and they had full happy, healthy lives with us until they passed away. The puppy was almost purebred Dalmatian and impossible to train. She was, however, the smartest dog we have ever had.

The maid had accidently left the gate unlocked so our puppy opened it easily with her paw and she and her mother set out on an excellent adventure. The mother dog was brought back by the person who was looking after our rental house but the puppy was missing for 2 and ½ days and we thought she was gone.

Late one night I heard scratching and crying at our front door and I knew our clever puppy had found her way home in the pouring rain in the dead of night. There was elation all around.

A few years later our daughter had become attached to a little miniature Schnauzer that was living on the street outside her school in Chapala. Our daughter had been feeding this feisty little puppy and lined a cardboard box with an old sweatshirt and fed her every day she was at school. I broached the subject of a third dog with my husband who said “no” without hesitation. I explained that this situation was different and our daughter had become attached to this animal.

To my great delight my husband went to my daughter’s school and picked up this puppy (who he hoped was the right one) and brought her home. The next day we took her to be shampooed, clipped, rid of fleas and dosed with all the appropriate shots and picked up our daughter who had been staying overnight with a friend. I will never forget the look on her face and the puppy was jolly happy too.

When our first mother and daughter dogs were getting older we were lucky enough to get a wonderful street dog a baby girl Lab who we all love to pieces as we have loved all of our dogs. She is an amazing watch dog and takes her job of protecting the family very seriously.

Last year we lost our little Schnauzer to a heart condition and so we were down to one dog. I could not even think about getting another dog.

Then another street dog this time a little boy Bichon Frise/Poodle mix came to my husband’s office. We put up signs trying to find the owners but when no one came forward we adopted him happily and he soon took the pain out of our hearts from losing our little Schnauzer.

Aside from the immense pleasure our dogs bring to our lives with their unconditional love we also appreciate the fact that they protect us and our house. I am not saying not to look into various security systems but the best security is a barking dog.

4 out of the 5 dogs we have adopted over the years were or are street dogs and I highly recommend these animals as they are so appreciative to have found a good home where they are loved and looked after that the reward is tenfold.

Call the Animal Shelter at 765-5514 to see about adopting a security system today.

Last night we attended a dinner party in the spectacular penthouse of our friends for their friends visiting from Brighton, England.

There were 29 people in attendance and there was plenty of room for 29 more.

It is a beautifully finished condo with a 180 degree view of Lake Chapala from the master bedroom, den/guest room, open concept living/dining room and kitchen. Our friends amazing artwork adorns the condo and complements the formal style.
(more…)

Here is some positive news about our beautiful village in the sun.

http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1074406–peaceful-canadian-port-thrives-amid-a-mexican-drug-war

This is a place that all newcomers need to know about. The reason for this is all houses in Ajijic, Lake Chapala seem to have a different key for every door and in the case of larger houses this can run to a very heavy key ring indeed.

Why it is necessary to have a different key for every door is something I have never been able to figure out despite extensive interrogation but there you have it.
(more…)

THE NEW GLOBAL ECONOMIC REALITY

First: A reality check on Mexico

Mexico is in a unique position to reap many of the benefits of the decline of the US economy. In order to not violate NAFTA and other agreements the U.S.A. cannot use direct protectionism, so it is content to allow the media to play this protectionist role. The U.S. media – over the last year – has portrayed Mexico as being on the brink of economic collapse and civil war. The Mexican people are either beheaded, kidnapped, poor, corrupt, or narco-traffickers. The American news media was particularly aggressive in the weeks leading up to spring break. The main reason for this is money. During that two-week period, over 120,000 young American citizens poured into Mexico and left behind hundreds of millions of dollars.

Let’s look at the reality of the massive drug and corruption problem, kidnappings, murders and money. The U.S. Secretary of State Clinton was clear in her honest assessment of the problem. “Our insatiable demand for illegal drugs fuels the drug trade. Our inability to prevent the weapons from being illegally smuggled across the border to arm these criminals causes the deaths of police officers, soldiers and civilians,” Clinton said. The other large illegal business that is smuggled into the U.S.A. that no one likes to talk about is Human Traffic for prostitution. This “business” is globally now competing with drugs in terms of profits.
(more…)

The travel industry reveals huge investments in Mexico signaling a brighter future.

This is an article by Johnny Punish on www.veteranstoday.com web site published June 9th, 2011. It is not perhaps the language I would use but I wanted to share its content with you.

Here we go again…..it’s like a daily ritual with the USA mainstream media. Today’s fake reality show episode comes to us from MSNBC with the omnious title “Time to say adios to Mexico travel?”.

In this paranoid fearmongering post, they take a poll asking “Would you visit Mexico given the worsening violence in some areas?”. The results are ugly and telling.

Eighty-Four percent (84%) of their readers chimed in shaking and quivering pushing that keyboard with an empahtic NO! I am sure if the button read NO F&#$ING WAY, that would be even more popular cause we’re dealing hysteria here folks.

How do I know? LOL! Because I have been living and travling all over Mexico for the past 12 years and that’s how I know and my wife of 26 years is Mexican.

For those of you 84 percenters, it’s called first hand knowledge and experience. Is that more credible than idiot pawn reporters working and getting paid by mainstream media living in the USA? What do you think? Yes, think!

Even more funny is that there are over 1,000,000 Americans living in Mexico who are laughing with me at this bullshit. Because Mexico is such a wonderful place to live, work, and travel, most of us get pissed off when hear this complete and utter bullshit over and over from US main stream media. That’s the first reaction. But since this war on Mexico has been going on for years now, after a while, we just start to realize that the USA is just neurotic, period! No hope!

After we get passed this accpetance, then we start to think…..geez us, maybe they should build that wall so we can keep this 84% out of Mexico. They have no clue on how stupid they sound when they try to talk about something they know nothing about. Worse, they are convinced that they live in the best most free country in the world even though there is NO evidence in 2011 that supports this bullshit.

USA # 1 right? Yeah, keep yelling it until you believe it with all your heart and then get your ass handed to you by the facists in Washington DC who control every aspect of your life. This is not 1950s America folks, this is Gattaca 2011.

I mean, we are talking about Mexico here; great weather, beautiful beaches, gorgeous señoritas, awesome and rich culture, friendly people with 1950′s American family values, and a heart that beats happy all day and night. No wars except the fake Drug War that the USA just loves to keep alive.

On the ground here, there is NO WAR. Read that again so you know its’ not a typo! NO WAR! Okay!

For 111,000,000 Mexicans, the war is virtually a non-issue. It’s just not in their face. Now, if you happen to be in the “selling drugs to sick Americans biz”, then, yes, you’d see it….everyday! No doubt about it. But in reality for most everyday Mexicans, this place is safer than most places on the planet.

Do you remember when kids used to walk down main street without fear? Yeah, I bet you do…..well in Mexico, they don’t wish this….this is how it is. The only place that have a high level of paranoia are in Juarez, a small city bordering Texas, and Mexico City with its over 25 million people.

In Juarez, the gangs are fighting to see who can sell drugs to those who demand them in the USA. The profits are so big that’s it’s out of control there. No question about it.

And in Mexico City, hey, there over 25 million people living there. What do you think it’s going to be? Do you walk around New York City with your head in the clouds? Come on! You need to be vigilant in any major metropolitian area. That’s normal. So save the stupid comments okay! I am talking about all of Mexico and not just Juarez or Mexico City. Heck, do you idiots travel to downtown Detroit for your vacation? Get real! Geez us people! Come on!

Anyway, yeah Mexico’s has more poverty than the USA….Opps! Scratch that! I was looking at 1998 stats! Opps! Mexico “used” to have more poverty than the USA. I mean given the complete USA meltdown over the last 10 years, believe me Mexicans are way more wealthy then the indebted enslaved brow beaten servants that the USA tries to call it’s middle class.

Heck my neighbor who lives in a colorful blue 500 sq. ft shack making $ 50 a week at the local fish plant is more wealthy than most Americans. At least she owns her own house! That’s right! Free and clear and her property tax is just $ 150 a year. Yep! That’s it. She don’t need no nuerotic BS about retiring when she’s 65 and some financial planning from a bankster who’s just going to rip her off.

And don’t get me started on healthcare in Mexico…..lets’ just say my daughter who is stuck in Dallas waiting in line at a doctors office with 50 others is begging to come to Mexico and get health care where doctors are trained to treat patients not insurance companies. Yeah! No waiting…..just go in and you can get 1 hour of face time with a GP, easy. And for $ 25. Not $ 500 for 10 minutes!

Anyway, the point is…..that all this bullshit about Mexico is fake made up BS from a determined US media who is aiming straight at the resort industry in Mexico.

And the truth is that this strategy is working. Just like when they scared the crap out of Joe American with their WMD bullshit and their Osama Bin Laden terror alerts waving all those dangerous yellows, oranges, and reds at us. All non-sense, yes! But effective like no other! Powerful stuff!

I mean, yeah, check it, I have a cousin Jethro who lives in Alabama. He has the stupid gall and arrogance to tell me how dangerous it is here in Mexico. Yeah, go figure! What a jerk! I told him to take his stupid right wing sorry dumb ass and plant it back on his Fox Idiot News Channel and stay the heck over there with his face planted on the “news”. This Joe-the Plumber moron deserves his ignorance for never questioning the sources of his “news” and “information”.

Of course, guaranteed, there will be 84% of you Jethro’s reading this who’ll side with my cousin and will have the stupidity to write lame ass comments here telling me how wrong I am and how right you are! You betcha! Heck you can put money on it right now! But to these fools I say “We got Osama Bin Laden, Yippee!”

But really, it’s not their brainwashed fault but the fault of their leadership who plays this game on them. And that’s the truly sad and tragic part of this story. Americans are the real losers here, not Mexico. Very seriously, I can’t tell you how sad it makes us expats who know the truth because we actually live and see both sides. It’s heartbreaking really.

Mexico has virtually accepted the fact that their fellow North American neighbor is just so over the top gone that it’s useless to even try.

Mexico has a growing middle class and their education system is providing their huge and large young population with better access to the future. The government and corporate PR advertising is getting stronger and promoting good responsible stuff to the youth. Its’ really good here. Impressive!

Can you ID the drug dealers on this dangerous beach in Playa del Carmen?

Now Mexico is reaching out to the rest of the global world to attract business and relying less and less on the USA for it’s travel industry.

I think that’s a great strategy that will bring dividends because, sadly, the USA is hopeless market! We’re dealing with a country that has 84% of it’s population believing that Mexico is dangerous when it’s the exact opposite. The USA is far more dangerous than Mexico!

Strange huh! Hearing that truth has gotta go against the mainstream but it is exactly true! Sorry to hurt your feelings!

In the end, the determination to assassinate the character of Mexico is too strong and deliberate by US main stream media.

There are many suspects for this delibrate attack but like all things in the USA, war is convoluted, ugly, messy and profitbale; so you know someone is making money off this deal. But who? It certainly ain’t cousin Jethro! And you? Are you making money off this deal? No? And now you’re mentally not able to come to a Mexican resort and enjoy hot warm oceans on sandy white beaches….really! Sucks to be you!

Now for those Americans living in Mexico reading this, I know I have been very direct with my fellow Americans here but the time to be subtle is over.

We tried being polite. Being polite and accomodating the neuroris is not working.

It’s time to hit back hard now and tell them the truth. Yes, the truth! Even if it hurts or they push back with made up FOX “facts”, sadly, it’s time to hit them back harder and maybe, just maybe, we can save a few from the grips of the brainwashing facsists posing as freedom sellers in blue and brown suits!

God Bless America …….and Mexico too!