A few days ago, we briefly met "Randall" an American friend of our neighbors, Richard and Kim. Randall lives in Tlaquepaque and was a good resource for us. Told him that Ann and I want to go to Lake Chapala and Ajijic plus on another day to Tequila. Randall put us in touch with Jose Orozco who made plans to guide us on these excursions.
Today, Jose picked us up at 10:00 am and we proceded to Lake Chapala. Jose asked if we minded if he ran an errand on the way. This meant a stop at the new bus terminal at Guadalajara Airport. A traveler can take shuttle from airline terminals to this station and then a bus to Tlaquepaque or Guadalajara. Buses also go to other locations such as Puerto Vallarta and Colima. It is much less expensive to take a bus than to book a connecting flight. From the coast, I could take a ferry to La Paz on the Baja Peninsula. I am thinking ahead to next year's trip to Baja.
Beautiful Lake Chapala...50 miles long..the largest lake in Mexico...second largest in Latin America. Our first stop was in the village of Ajijic where we walked the Malecon along the shore of the lake. We proceeded uphill to the town center. The town looks ideal...lovely landscapes, attractive architecture, community centers, all sorts of shops. It is exactly what I have described as the type of town where I would want to retire. BUT........the people all looked the same....Senior Americans and Canadians dressed in shorts or Capris...wide brimmed hats...pale skin....driving cars with northern plates. What would it be like living among them? They all looked alike. Do their lives overlap too much. Am I judging unfairly? Perhaps. We visited "The Neil James Library and Garden". This was a very active park with indications of all sorts of planned activities. There were signs announcing up and coming concerts. Signs for blood pressure testing reminded that this was the home of seniors. There were potters and other artesans. With interest, we followed the signs for "Carpentiristos Jovens". Does this mean that there are people in this town below retirement age? Who are these people. The signs ended in the back of park at an outdoor carpentry shop. A good looking, silver ponytailed retiree from Michigan, kindly, took a few moments to answer our questions. He and other retirees living in Ajijic had set up a program to teach carpentry to boys starting at age twelve. The local boys attend this workshop for a few years. At the end of the training, these young men are placed in jobs. With the skills that they have learned they will be highly employable. I was very impressed and my image of Ajijic changed for the better. These retirees were giving back to their community.
In the town of Chapala we walked through handicraft and food stands to the waterfront and along Chapala's malecon. There was a row of pelicans out in the water in a formation. Why? The waterfront park was beautifully landscaped. There were places for families to picnic. There was a skateboard park with a lot of action from the area's young boys. Jose, Ann and I ate lunch at an open air restaurant overlooking Lake Chapala. After lunch, we completed our lakefront walk and visited the large church just up the main street. Chapala was a town with many more Mexican residents than Ajijic. It is a tourist town because of the lake and mountains...but, it was not a place where everyone looked the same. Time to head back to Tlaquepaque.
Jose Orozco, our Guide, speaks perfect English as he has lived in the US. Ann and I both liked his pleasant, kind personality. We look forward to having Jose guide us later in the week, when we visit Tequila. Jose is a very enterprising, young man. In addition to guiding private tours to Lake Chapala, Tequila, Guachimontones (Round Pyramids), Guadalajara City Tours, Foco Tonal (Healing Site), and Airport Transportation, Jose will take clients shopping. This would cover your average tourist or the person who is settling in Mexico and needs to furnish their new home. You can read of Jose,s services at http://www.guideworksorozco.com/ His email addresses are: usamex99@prodigy.net.mx and usamex99@hotmail.com.mx We highly recommed Jose Orozco.
Home by 3:00pm. I made a pot of chicken vegetable soup which filled our apartment with a rich aroma. We had a big lunch of Chile Rellenos (shrimp and cheese stuffings) so soup was perfect for our supper. Afterwards, we took our evening walk about town. We were drawn into "Del Corazon de la Tierra" a large shop on Juarez that sells handmade goods by Indigenous groups in the mountainous areas of Mexico and Guatemala. From my travels to Chiapas in Mexico and various places in Guatemala, I could identify many of the creative handicrafts. This was my kind of store. They sold labor intensive pieces of art. The colors and workmanship was outstanding. http://www.delcorazondelatierra.com/
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