Lake Chapala, Mexico

Lake Chapala is the largest lake in Mexico and is protected by an association designed to protect living lakes.

For us it is paradise. Coming from Toronto, Canada we appreciate now living in the best climate in the world. Some say Kenya is good too but the political situation and distance from home is a little undesirable for us.

Few people knew about Ajijic, Lake Chapala when we first moved here in 1994. This was good and bad. Good because the carretera was free of traffic and one could obtain a parking spot in the village with ease. Bad because should you want anything out of the ordinary it meant a trip to Guadalajara or had to be put on your list for when you visited home.

I remember loading up on my Twining’s Earl Grey Decaffeinated Tea at Loblaws in Toronto, only to find it here on the shelves of Superlake. I also would buy vacuum bags (we had not yet gone bagless) and a host of other “necessities”.

If you do find that you cannot find some article here or in Guadalajara another option is to order it from the US and have it shipped to your Mail Boxes Etc. address in Laredo, Texas and they look after all the customs for you. Call Mail Boxes Etc. here in Ajijic at 766-0647 and they will help you set up this service.

I have had difficulty in finding a Hoover Upright Vacuum Cleaner in Ajijic, Lake Chapala or Guadalajara so I am going to order one online and have it shipped here.

I thing the reason for this lack of quality vacuum cleaners is that most people have tile, slate or marble floors and there is not a lot of broadloom in the homes here.

Life could be a challenge when we first moved here but now there is nothing that we cannot accomplish.

So many things have improved as our infrastructure has strengthened. Banking, bill paying, shopping, medical services, insurance, internet providers, television providers, schools, churches of all faiths, businesses and a host of other goods and services are now readily available to us.

The electricity, albeit, still not perfect does not go out with quite such regularity as in the past and we have water almost all of the time. Recently, there was some talk of us not having water for a day so we scrambled around filling up garbage containers with water. As it turned out it was just a false rumor and we never were with water leaving us with the question as to what to do with all the water in the garbage containers. We did find the solution of watering our plants so nothing went to waste.

Ours is a peaceful life with warm weather, wonderful friendships and a gentler way of life.

Now with the information highway readily available to us many people are finding Lake Chapala, Mexico. They are pleased with what they learn online and are coming to investigate our village in the sun. This is very good for our real estate market which is experiencing an upswing. It should be a good “slow” season for all.