Things certainly have improved in the almost 16 years we have lived in Ajijic, Lake Chapala.

Now we have most things we need right here lakeside and it is no longer necessary to go to Guadalajara for items we are looking to purchase.

For example recently I was in the market for a new queen sized mattress.

There is the furniture store in Chapala that sells mattresses and this used to be our only choice.

Now, however, we have several options right here in Ajijic, Lake Chapala.

Naturally, I was going to comparison shop for the best mattress at the best price.

First I went to Barbara’s Bazaar on Independencia and also Carlos’Bazaar on the street groing up from St.Andres Church. Sometimes one can get lucky but this was not one of those (more…)

We hear a lot about how the Canadian Real Estate market is booming but how the Real Estate market in the US, although recovering slowly, is still not where it once was.

I am happy to report that the Ajijic Real Estate market continues to flourish. We did have a dip after the market fell globally in late 2008 but are now rebounding nicely and would be retirees are still flocking to Ajijic, Lake Chapala.

We still have arguably the best climate in the world, an affordable cost of living, a slower gentler pace and an infrastructure that satisfies even the most discerning of people.

One can come to Ajijic, Lake Chapala and enjoy a vibrant retirement or, thanks to the internet, continue to work if one so chooses.

We have many styles of properties at a price range to suit you from condos to elegant (more…)

Yesterday was the first round of the Masters Golf Tournament in Augusta, Georgia.

Over 20 million people tuned in to watch Tiger Woods tee off and if they were looking for fire works after the scandal that has dogged the world’s number one golfer they were disappointed.

Tiger probably selected The Masters (one of golf’s four major tournaments) for the civility of the Augusta National Golf Club where the tradition of golf is most highly respected.

Tiger, I am sure, was most pleasantly surprised by the warmth of the reception from the fans, his peers and the golf association leaders.

His reception on the first tee was even louder and more positive than usual and clearly everyone involved with the game of golf was delighted to have Tiger back on the tour.

He also shot his best first round at The Masters ever signing a score care with 2 eagles, 2 birdies and 2 bogies for a total first round score of 4 under 2 shots off the (more…)

This is good news for golfers of all levels of expertise.

We used to have a driving range and restaurant for light lunches on the libramiento but, unfortunately, it gave way to the building of houses.

At Chula Vista Country Club in Chula Vista there is a net into which one can wallop their balls and The Chapala Country Club in Vista del Lago, San Nicholas has a driving range of sorts along side the first tee.

Now, however, there is a new driving range and golf school opening in San Antonio very close to Chula Vista, Ajijic, Lake Chapala.

There are many wonderful golf courses in Guadalajara and the two above-mentioned ones lakeside and, of course, avid golfers always enjoy driving to Barre de Navidad for the world class golf course on Isla de Navidad. One can stay at the fabulous Grand Bay Hotel and have a wonderful golf and hotel experience.

You can Google golf clubs in Guadalajara and find several web sites detailing the golf clubs and all their specifications, prices, availabilities etc.

Now golfers of all handicaps will be able to enjoy a proper driving range right here in Ajijic, Lake Chapala.

This is important as many snow birds do not have the advantage of golfing 12 months as we do and they are perhaps a little rusty on arrival. Having a (more…)

Roberto’s is located on the Chapala – Jocotepec carretera at the west end of Ajijic just before Villa Nova on the north side. Their phone # is 766-1463 They are open Tuesday through Sunday..

This is a very interesting restaurant in a beautiful garden setting with many choices on the menu that would be considered comfort food.

Roberto’s have a daily lunch special for 85.00 pesos which includes soup or salad.

Today’s Specials were:

Mexican Fish Filet, Grilled Corn Beef Cheese Sandwich, Cranberry Chicken Breast, Pad Thai Salad, Roast Turkey with all the trimmings, Lamb Arrechera Fajitas, Mango Chicken, Deep Fried Panko Shrimp or Scallops, Grilled Boneless Pork Chops and Snapper al Mojo de Ajo (garlic butter). The soup was poblano pepper and the salad had a light and refreshing raspberry vinaigrette.

All lunches are served with their famous Carrot Croquettes and fresh bread and a trilogy of interesting spreads.

Other choices for lunch on the regular menu are:

Cobb Salad, Oriental Chicken Salad, Roberto’s Salad, Mexican Salad, Hot Avocado and Shrimp Salad, Hamburger, Dilled Chicken Salad, B.L.T. Sandwich (more…)

When we first bought our house in Chula Vista in 2000 we needed to upgrade the stove that came with the house as it was very old and had to be lit manually. This did not thrill me as I was not used to gas and still was a little afraid of lighting the oven pilot light.

At that time my husband volunteered to go to Sear in Guadalajara to purchase said stove as we had always trusted them (Sears) in Canada.

Our stove lasted for some time but getting it serviced was always a challenge as everything had to be done in Spanish (I was far from fluent in 2000) and we had to wait sometimes weeks for a service call.

Finally, we took to having local electricians fix our stove for us, when needed, and when we were told it was no longer fixable we decided to buy a new stove locally.

We bought a Whirlpool stove in April of 2009 from Tio Sam which is located on the Libramiento Chapala-Ajijic # 132-9. Their phone # is 766-5664 and their email address is: lozexpo@prodigy.net.mx.

From the beginning we had nothing but problems with this stove. First getting it to fit into the space allotted for a stove in our kitchen was a challenge but we were able to deal with that by removing two side pieces that were of no apparent use according to the installer.

Secondly, the knobs fell off. We had this dealt with too. Service calls from Tio Sam are available Tuesday and Thursdays.

We also had problems with the movable racks in the oven which were designed to make life easier as they came out when you opened the oven door. This was not quite the case, however. We did not know that you were supposed to insert a small pole into a even smaller hole to make the unit secure. I am still haunted by my husbands screams as his freshly baked (more…)

If you are looking for a fun and interesting day trip the Tequila Express could be for you.

The National Chamber of Commerce, Services and Tourism Guadalajara welcomes you to the train tour which organizes and operates the Tequila Express, The Legend.

Culture, recreation, entertainment and much more awaits you on this magical journey.

The Tequila Express, The Legend is a train tour which was founded in 1997 to achieve 3 goals:

To Rescue and revive the passenger train.

To pioneer a new form of tourism.

To keep the three pillars of national identity: mariachi, tequila and rodeo.

The Tequila Express runs every Saturday of the year and makes a single trip per day (9:00 am – 6:30 pm) to visit Hacienda San Jose del Refugio (more…)

Congratulations to Director/Choreographer, CeCe Girling and Backstage Manager, Nicole Sergent for a hugely successful and entertaining 10th Annual Fashion Show to benefit the Red Cross in Chapala and presented by the Crux Rojo International Volunteers.

This year’s theme was A Tribute to the Fashion Capitals of the World and it was, indeed, a great tribute to the entire fashion industry.

I was able to convince my husband to accompany me to this fabulous event as both our daughters were two of the gorgeous models in this year’s show.

He was pleasantly surprised by the fact that many other men were also in attendance.

The show was very well attended and a lovely buffet was served prior to the fashion show itself and one could barely hear oneself think for click of cameras and various other digital recording devices.

What makes this fashion show so special is the choreography and fun that all the models are having as they displayed the beautiful garments from local and Guadalajara designers.

Local designers represented were Tina Jones, Mi Mexico, Alma Gutiterrez Fashion Designs, Opus Boutique, Fiaga Boutique and Heather’s (more…)

Originally a religious holiday to honor St. Patrick, who introduced Christianity to Ireland in the fifth century, it has evolved into a celebration of all things Irish.

I have a special affinity for St. Patrick’s day as I am part Irish (Scottish and English make up the other parts) and also my mother’s father, my mother and my sister and my aunt were all born on March17th.

New York City hosted the first St. Patrick’s Day parade on March 17th, l762 featuring Irish soldiers serving in the English military. The parade has become an annual event with President Harry S. Truman attending his very own self in 1948.

Congress has proclaimed March as Irish-American Heritage Month in 1995 and the sitting president issues a proclamation each year.

Now for a little history lesson. Naomh Padraig (c 387-17 March 493) was a Romanized Celt and Christian Missionary who is the most generally recognized patron saint of Ireland.

When he was about 16 he was captured from Britain by Irish raiders and taken as a slave to Ireland, where he lived for six years before escaping and returning (more…)

I believe that one of the many reasons we moved to Ajijic, Lake Chapala over 15 years ago was that it was getting very difficult to find a place that one could smoke in Toronto.

On arrival to Ajijic, Lake Chapala there were no such restrictions in place and one could smoke freely anywhere as it were. Of course, you might run into the odd rabid anti-smoker but that was to be expected.

Now it would seem that last week-end federal officials closed several restaurants and bars in Guadalajara for not adhering to the General Law for Tobacco Control.

Many of these establishments in Jalisco still allow their patrons to smoke ever though the law states they must have separate smoking areas.

Although the details are still sketchy, a team from the Federal Sanitation Protection Commission ( Cofepris) is thought to have visited approximately 40 restaurants in the city.

To reopen, owners of the closed restaurants need to make their establishments 80% smoke-free with outdoor or (more…)