Lake Chapala Expat: Lakeside

Yesterday my repaired wheel and new tire for the rig were finally ready so I drove the rig for the first time in about three weeks to pick it up. The manager of the tire shop in Jocotepec is a young woman named Rosa who spoke English fairly well. I asked her if she learned English in the States and she told me that her father who had spent time in the US had taught her as a young child. She also told me that she had spent 4 years getting a college degree at a University in Guadalajara. She commuted every school day from Jocotepec to Guadalajara and back. You have to admire her determination to get an education and her father's care and love to help her.

The bill was 1,235 pesos (about $113.93 USD); 985 pesos for the tire, 200 pesos to repair the wheel and 50 pesos to mount it.

Al and I accompanied Brian on a trip to Chapala in his quest to get his radio working right. On the way back we started to look for a new restaurant that we had heard about in San Antonio called the "Sunrise". After getting faulty directions about six times and driving back and forth several times, we finally found it. The restaurant was nice and clean and the food and service was good and inexpensive. The first margarita or drink with a meal was 15 pesos. The November special is $1 for breakfast.

I am finding out that this area may have some aspects to it that may not suit everyone. The weather is so nice that every day seems about the same. This can lead to a sense of boredom for some people. There is a lot to do here and activities you can get involved in but I have heard that many local gringos that live here frequently use this as a home base to explore other area of Mexico. Many spend a couple weeks a year at the beach. Melaque near Manzanillo seems to be a favorite get away. Also several go to Guadalajara (40 minutes away) for cultural activities and to party.

At the Ajijic town square today, I spoke with a Canadian couple from Ontario that had rented a house for six months. They are leaving after only three months stating that the area was too "rustic" to suit them.

This morning I awoke to find a new neighbor at the San Juan Cosala camp. A burro was teathered outside the fence to eat the weeds out there. This is a frequent scene alongside the Mexican caminos and carreteras. Yesterday a horse was hit and killed by a car on the road to Ajijic. I also heard that a Mexican girl (18) waiting for a bus to school was hit by a truck and suffered major injury.