My husband Gayle and I just got
back from a week in Ajijic [Ah-hee-heek] Jalisco Mexico
on the north shore of Lake Chapala – the largest lake in all of Mexico – and a forty minute drive from the
airport at Guadalajara . We stayed at a beautiful Bed & Breakfast
called La Estrellita’s owned by Lorraine Pasini (http://estrellitasinnajijic.com/) about
a block from the lake front and two blocks from the levee that runs 1/3 mile
along the lake known as a malecón [mah-lay-cone]. It is also just two blocks from the town
square. I highly recommend this
B&B. Lorraine is an absolute doll of a host.
Ajijic is touted
to have the second best climate in the world.
At about 5,000 ft elevation, it nearly always has moderate
temperatures. While we were there (late
November), the temperatures ranged from 50 deg F at night and one cool day to a
high of about 85 degrees. It was dry the
entire time we were there, however there was a wind storm one night and into
the day time which knocked out some power in places.
We found almost
all the Mexican people to be extremely friendly and somewhat conversant if not
entirely fluent in English. Part of the
reason for this is the large population of American and Canadian retirees and snowbirds
in Ajijic. Restaurants especially
catered to North American and Canadians and the wait-staff speak English quite
well in most places. As for the
restaurants, we ate fabulous Italian and Thai food more than once. Gayle had a great big steak done perfectly at
Ajijic Tango restaurant for $10! For
myself, I did not have any traditional Mexican food while we were there, in
contrast to the last time we visited Mexico - Tequisquipan in 2010. I wasn’t a vegan in 2010. Yes, beans and rice in a corn tortilla make a
complete protein, but how boring that would be for every meal! The best I could do was vegetarian food. So I consumed dairy and eggs for a week. No big deal.
It was a fine compromise. But for
that I’m glad to be home where I have some control over my diet. Healthy, strictly vegan fare is almost
completely unavailable in restaurants everywhere, not just in Mexico . North American restaurants could use some
upgrading on that score.
Vegan/Vegetarian’s are the fastest growing segment of the population in
the US .
***
Describing Mexico (at
least Ajijic and other towns I’ve been to) to someone who has never been there
is difficult. If I could use one word to
describe it, it would be “messy”. The
streets off the main road through town (“carretera”) are all paved with stones
that are bumpy, slow and noisy to drive on.
Skin-and-bones dogs sleep and crap in the roads and on the narrow
sidewalks. The sidewalks themselves are
so uneven and broken up, in most cases, you have to watch every step, not to
mention having to keep from treading on dog crap as you pick your way
along. Buildings are built right to the
edge of the sidewalks, have zero clearance between them, and are walled 8 to 12
feet high with masonry construction.
Masonry construction is the rule everywhere in Mexico as they
have no timber resources to speak of but plenty of rock, stone and mud. All windows and doors are covered with iron
bars. The tops of the masonry walls are
guarded with razor wire, broken glass, bougainvillea with its inch long thorns,
or barbed steel hooks of some kind.
Security seems to be a priority in building construction. While we were there, we heard the tale of a
visiting couple whose rented house was robbed of everything they had brought,
including underwear and shoes. There had
been no sign of forced entry, so it looked as though someone had used a key to
gain entry. Perhaps a “bump” key was
used.
Note: If you’re renting a house or unsecured condo
in Mexico ,
insist that the keyed entry is changed immediately before your arrival (same
day if possible) and ask for proof that it has been done. Don’t take the owner’s word for it. Probably the best kind of lock is a
combination lock in which the combination is frequently changed.
Houses, shops and
buildings have tall masonry walls and steel barred doors and windows. Some are nice, some are really, really nice, and right beside these
gorgeous places are almost uninhabitable looking house faćades, but most are
occupied despite their appearance. The
masonry is almost always painted with bright colors, mainly in the
orange/yellow or blue hues. Some have
murals painted on them depicting scenes from the Aztec area, or other colorful
designs. Some are just plain ol’
ugly.
THINGS TO DO
Gayle and I
strolled the market set up on a four block long cobblestone street on Wednesday
of the week we were there. Some of the
products being sold were sweets and nuts, fresh fruits and vegetables, handmade
jewelry, CD’s, leather goods, toys, and painted earthenware. I bought a couple of beautifully hand painted
condiment bowls.
If you go to
Mezcala which is about an hour drive east of Ajijic, you can take a tour boat ride
to a little island in Lake
Chapala . We saw a boat leave but decided not to take
the trip. Gayle said he’s not a “boat
person”, whatever that means. We didn’t
see that there were any tour boat trips available in Ajijic. We saw fishermen in boats along the shore
competing with the egrets for the fish, but they didn’t offer us a ride. Hahaha.
Walking around and
checking out the numerous shops and stores in Ajijic turned out to be most of
the activity we engaged in. That and
eating! There are bars – some of which
cater to smokers, but we only did that once.
I had the best hand-made margarita ever at Tom’s Bar on Constitución
Street .
Taking a siesta
during the hottest part of the day – one to three p.m. – seems to be the thing
to do. I caught up on emails and
Facebook status or read while Gayle napped.
I don’t normally take naps but I did once while we were there. To me it makes sleeping at night difficult.
I got a pedicure
at one of the nicer salons in town and it only cost $12.50 including tip. It was one of the better pedicures I’ve ever
had. Massages, including Reiki, and
reflexology are also available in town.
We heard there
were hot springs
spas nearby Ajijic.
We had a car but
probably didn’t need it. Taxis are
plentiful. Buses run on schedule. It’s a little dicey and very expensive to
rent a car. Insurance is not optional on
car rentals so it cost us $500 to rent a Tsuru for a week through Thrifty. The worse thing about driving in Mexico is that
nobody obeys speed limits and you will get passed if you do – sometimes dangerously. As an aside, NEVER leave anything visible in
your car.
WHAT TO BRING
If you have a
Kindle or iPad (or the like), bring that!
It’s so nice not having to tote around actual books.
Bring
your netbook or laptop. WiFi is
available most everywhere you stay. It
may be a bit dicey or slow once in awhile, but usually not.
Camera!!
Comfortable
walking shoes. Sandals and flip flops
are okay, but you’ll definitely need a sturdy shoe to walk on those cobblestone
streets with.
WHAT NOT TO PACK
We both brought
our iPods and didn’t use them once. Not
even on the flights to and from. Of
course, you may love having yours.
Bathing suits
didn’t get used because our B&B didn’t have a pool. The lake is not swimmable by American
standards, though the water quality is said to be good during the summer months
in the rainy season. It looked pretty
icky to me in November!
SURPRISES ON THE ALASKA AIRLINES FLIGHT
Checked
luggage was free to and from Mexico
(Guadalajara ,
at least). Two pieces each person. Gayle just told me that was a special that
Alaska Airlines was running in November.
Poo.
They
FEED you on the flight…actual food that’s not too awful.
Well, that’s about all I have on our trip
to Ajijic Mexico . If you have any comments or questions, please
leave them below and I’ll try to get back to you quickly with an answer.
Sounds like a very cool trip. Were you concerned at all about the gang violence in Mexico? I've heard that travel is way down because of that, especially with the cruise lines. And, are you going to share any cool pics? :-)
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