Crime in the USA vs. Mexico

Over the next few blogs I would like to share some information I have uncovered to refute the “dire” warnings issued in travel advisories about Mexico.

Just about every country in the world is now experiencing increased crime rates. However, there are usually safe areas in every country where the crime rate is lower or non-existent. Ajijic, Lake Chapala is one of those safe areas.

The US State Department put out a warning about the violence in Mexico. Although the report states that 128 Americans were killed in Mexico between Jan 2006 and December 2008 one has only to look more closely at the data for the northwestern part of Mexico including Rosarito Beach, Ensenada, Mexicali, San Felipe, Tecate and Puerto Penasco to see that 42 Americans were killed, from all causes (there were at least 4 suicides) in the last three years combined.
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Tabarka is a new Spanish Mediterranean Cuisine Restaurant in Ajijic, Lake Chapala located on the Carratera Chapala-Jocotepec # 424 in Rancho del Oro. Their phone # is 766-1588. They are closed on Tuesdays and you can visit their web site at: www.tabarka.com.mx or send them an email at Ajijic@tabarka.com.mx

Tabarka offers fresh fish daily and their specialty is Monk Fish which is dubbed the “poor man’s lobster”.

Tabarka offers an interesting array of appetizers including Baby Endive with Blue Cheese and Pecan Dressing.

Their specialty is a choice of three different fish (such as Sea Bass, Swordfish, Scorpion Fish), with three different sauces (such as Green Sauce, Romesco Sauce, Fennel Sauce, Garlic Sauce) with three different sides (such as Roasted Red Peppers, Asparagus, Green Salad, Baby Potatoes) for two persons for $260.00 pesos.

Tabarka has other specials such as Scallops in Cauliflower Sauce, Prawns and a selection of delicious authentic Paellas.

There is, of course, always a fresh fish of the day.

The desserts are very good and the have a wonderful flan/bread pudding affair and also chocolate truffles with whipped cream to name a couple.

The cappuccino is hot and they have decaf and other specialty coffee selections.

An Amuse Bouche is served prior to your meal with a basket of warm bread and some spread which we were unable to recognize but was very tasty nonetheless.

The wine list is limited but we enjoyed a very nice Santa Alicia Chardonnay from Chile for $230.00 pesos.

Tabarka is in a very nice location with a view of Lake Chapala and the setting sun. The service is warm, friendly and efficient.

We went there to try the Monk Fish which they had run out of earlier in the day. I suggested, as it is their specialty, that they might consider ordering more. They were also out of Lobster. I suggest that you might wish to call ahead if you have your heart set of one of these delicacies.

We enjoyed our meal and the whole experience and is very nice to have a Fresh Fish restaurant among the, now 45, restaurants in the area.

Our waiter was Joshua and he certainly knew his onions or in this case his fish.

The Ninos Incapacitados is one of Lake Chapala, Mexico’s best loved charities of the many worthwhile charities Lakeside.

Ninos Incpacitados is nl all volunteer, not for profit charitable organization that has been helping kids in the Lake Chapala area for over 18 years. They are audited annually by the state of Jalisco’s directorate of charities (IJAS).

Over 95% of their income is spent directly in helping needy children and less than 5% is spent on fund raising and administration expenses.

In 2010 Ninos Incapacitatos has assisted 132 children and young people with disabilities such as cerebral palsy, diabetes, cancer and birth defects in addition to paying for wheelchairs, orthopedic braces, eye-glasses and other medical equipment, the organization pays for medications, x-rays and diagnostic tests which are not covered by the family’s insurance.

In 2009 they were able to help 220 children and in 2008 children were helped.

If you go to the web site at: www.programaninos.org and click on a photo of a recent child of the month you can then get a better idea of what Ninos Incapacitados is accomplishing.

There are also links to how other children have been helped.

They also tell you on the web site about different fund raisers that have been held and are upcoming and how you can get involved in this most trusted and worthwhile (more…)

The Mexico Congress is not happy about this new immigration law which will criminalize undocumented workers which has now passed through the Arizona Senate.

The bill would make it a state crime for immigrants not to have an alien registration document and allows police to question people about their immigration status if they suspect they are not legal residents. To some, this is virtually racial profiling.

Those without papers can be put in prison for up to six months and fined up to $2,500.00. At the moment the penalty for undocumented immigrants is deportation.

The bill passed through the state Senate 17 to 11 but Republican Governor, Jan Brewer, can still stall the bill if she refuses to sign it into law. The bill passed through state Senate along party lines, meaning it would be a shock if she refused to sign it.

If this bill is signed, Arizona will have the toughest anti-undocumented workers law in the in the entire United States.

In the Mexican Congress, all major parties came together to demand that the nation’s Foreign Secretary mount a diplomatic protest. Thee legislators are also asking Jan Brewer to reject the bill.

This bill is viewed as an attacked on human dignity and is a huge step backwards and at its heart is racism, some say.

The spokesperson for the Mexican Embassy in Washington, Ricardo Alday, also released a statement indicating he bill could hurt the relations between Arizona and (more…)

Ajijic Tango is located at Morelos # 5, in Ajijic. Their telephone # is 766-2458 but they do not take reservations for lunch or on Saturday and Sunday. Ajijic Tango is closed on Tuesdays.

We all know Ajijic Tango to be a wonderful Argentinean Steak House for dinner in a very lovely setting with cozy outdoor fireplaces to keep us warm during these unusually cool evenings.

They also have a Early Bird Lunch Special from 12:30 – 1:30 pm Monday to Friday again with no reservations. All lunch specials are $50.00 pesos.

I was very pleasantly surprised by this lunch special which I experienced for the first time today.

One, of course, has the option of ordering from their regular menu which includes, rib eyes, filet mignons, flap meat (to my mind the best thing on the menu), chicken, pastas, salads, (more…)

One of our favorite places to stay in Ajijic, Lake Chapala is Casa Tres Leones.

This is a very upscale and elegant boutique B & B in the prestigious area of Las Salvias in Ajijic. They have 8 beautifully appointed suites and 1 self-contained villa. The views of Lake Chapala and the Sierra Madre mountains are wonderful as are the extensive manicured gardens. Internet access is available. Breakfast is served on the outdoor terraza and there is a pool.

Enjoy a comfortable and relaxing atmosphere surrounded by the beauty of Mexico. Complete and modern conveniences with old world (more…)

Neill James is an icon of Ajijic history who worked with the Mexican community for over 50 years. When she died she bequeathed her vast property at Calle 16 de Septiembre in Ajijic to house the Lake Chapala Society.

LCS is a non-profit organization which has legally operated in Ajijic for over 50 years.

For many the Lake Chapala Society Directory published every year alone is worth the price of admission. All expats are listed in this directory along with business and government listings very valuable to the newcomer and residents alike.

A very reasonable part time or full time membership offers many benefits:

Free mail service is an exceptional service.

There are free preventative medical programs and discounts on doctor’s visits, first-class restaurants and membership in a mega-store.

Also access to the LSC Library with over 20,000 English books and access to over 4,000 videos and DVD’s in English is included.

You can have 2 free ads per month in the classified section of (more…)

I watch CNN every morning while I am checking my web sites and doing my business.

Of late, there has been precious little that is uplifting to say the least.

This morning, however, there was a lovely story about the two American journalists, Euna Lee and Laura Ling, returning to US soil in Burbank, California, accompanied by their rescuer, Former President, Bill Clinton.

The two girls were happily reunited with their families and one gave a short emotional speech detailing their harrowing 142 days in capture in North Korea after allegedly illegally entering North Korea from China.

They had been tried and sentenced to 12 years hard labor and thought they would never return to their jobs working for the San Francisco based and Al Gore owned Current TV.

Al Gore had been tirelessly trying to free the girls for months and was on hand today to welcome them home and say a few words.

The selection of President Bill Clinton to make the trip to try and negotiate the girl’s release had been in the works for weeks as a very delicate balance had to be struck.

There should be no agenda hidden or otherwise than the girl’s release. Nuclear proliferation would not be on the table and President Clinton was not an official representative of the Obama (more…)

This morning at 11:00 am ET Judge Sonia Sotomayor is being sworn in as the first Hispanic in history to wear the robes of a Supreme Court Justice.

Judge Sotomayor was born to a Puerto Rican family and grew up in the South Bronx and arguably has lived the American dream. Her father, a factory worked with a third grade education, died when she was 9 and she was raised by her mother who also worked as a nurse.

When her father died Judge Sotomayor turned to the comfort of books and it was her reading of the Nancy Drew mystery series that first captured her attention for the law.

She graduated as valedictorian from high school and won a scholarship to Princeton where she continued to excel and graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. She also won the top academic award at Princeton. At law school at Yale she served as editor of the Yale Law Journal and (more…)

Our three children all grew up in Ajijic, Lake Chapala.

They went to school here and 2 of them went to college in the US and Canada and the other one went to university in Ontario. They have worked and lived in the US, Canada, London, England and have collectively traveled to Italy, France, Ireland, Scotland, Spain, Minorca, Holland Guatemala and Switzerland. One of our daughters wrote her university entrance essay on the fact that Mexico is her heart which gained her admission into 5 excellent Canadian universities.

They all would go away to school or to work but they always came home to Ajijic, Lake Chapala as his is home and where they all feel most comfortable.

Their friends are here, the food they love, the nightspots they frequent and a life style not found anywhere else in the world

We always encouraged them to go back up north or abroad assuming they would have better lives or jobs but no place ever stuck and they always came home. They are happy here and (more…)