Lake Chapala: Chapala, Ajijic, Jalisco

The small lakeside town of Chapala in Jalisco had more buildings designed by notable architects in the first half of the twentieth century than any other location of its size in Mexico, perhaps even in North America. In 1900, Chapala was little more than an overgrown fishing village with one major hotel and 1753 residents. […]

G. M. Bashford’s Tourist Guide to Mexico was first published exactly seventy years ago in 1954. It was one of a spate of motoring book guides written after World War II as Americans began to hit the open road and drive south in search of sunshine and adventure. How much has Mexico really changed in […]

Tony Burton’s most recent book, Lake Chapala: a postcard history, is an interesting pictorial romp through the Lake Chapala area from just before the twentieth century to about 1960. Over 150 postcards mostly taken from Burton’s private collection give a broad overview of what life was like around the lake from the time when the […]

Tony Burton’s most recent book, Foreign Footprints in Ajijic, captures a period of time in Ajijic’s history from the 1940s to the 1980s that is both intriguing and eye-opening. It is hard to imagine the comings and goings that took place in this seemingly quiet fishing village nestled beside Lake Chapala, a stone’s throw from […]

New Worlds for the Deaf: the story of the pioneering Lakeside School for the Deaf in rural Mexico by Gwen Chan Burton (Sombrero Books, 2020) In 1982, Gwen Chan Burton, who had previously taught in government secondary schools in Australia and Canada for 12 years, was faced with a big career decision. Burton (whose name […]

Tony Burton’s thoroughly researched and utterly fascinating book If Walls Could Talk, published by Sombrero Books, takes us through the surprising and richly textured history of Chapala’s past from the mid-eighteen hundreds onwards. I had no idea that this laid back, seemingly staid resort town on the shores of Jalisco’s Lake Chapala could have had […]

Katie Goodridge Ingram’s memoir According to Soledad is a rich and sometimes dark journey into her childhood years growing up in Mexico City and Ajijic, a small fishing village in the state of Jalisco. Her earliest years are spent in an affluent sector of Mexico City with her American parents who are constantly struggling to […]

…Ah! Chapala you have the magic of a story book stories of sunsets and earthenware, of romantic moonlit nights Peaceful Chapala, your lake – a romantic bride like none other.. Chapala, embedded in the central part of Jalisco, is “a place of flower vases of fragrant clay and small earthenware pots”, known also as “The […]

A native of Guadalajara, artist Enrique Velazquez has made his home in Ajijic since 1989, painting and selling from his Arte Estudio on 16 de Septiembre, (a block east of Morelos), which he shares with his wife, Belva, also an artist. Together they are raising three children, two boys and a girl, while capturing Mexican […]

Posted by Richard Alt on July 30, 1997: My wife and I have just returned from Ajijic. While there we toured real estate with a very competent man. We are currently negotiating for a property which is a walled lot with all utilities installed, a basic foundation, cistern, etc. for a small home. What we […]

Embree was born in Princeton, Indiana, October 1, 1874, the son of lawyer David Franklin Embree, member of a prominent pioneer family, and Mary Fleming Embree. He was educated in Princeton public schools and entered Wabash College in the fall of 1892. After three years he left college without graduating to devote himself to writing, […]

At ten in the morning the day was already hot enough to dry the tears on my face as I walked into San Juan Cosala to attend little Santiago’s funeral. His teacher and his six-year-old school friends filed slowly into the churchyard, many of the girls in white dresses, and all of the children looking […]

This morning Nurse Practitioner Silvia Flores Gonzalez is a little tired, having gotten up at 4:00 am to deliver a baby. The young mother knocked on the door of “El Centro de Desarrollo para Mujeres” in Ajijic at 4:00 am, and she only had $30.00 pesos to pay for the delivery. The women’s center serves […]

I will always be here. I send my spirit every night to guard you. We lie in bed listening to the tympani of rain on the tile roof and burrowing into each other’s warmth. My neighbors weren’t home when Jaime came to visit, so no one saw him. Secrecy wearies me. I fancy the scandal […]

A fishin’ we will go, a fishin’ we will go; hi, ho, the merry-o, a fishin’ we will go. Second son Gary came to the west end of Lake Chapala, to the suburbs of Jocotepec, in the colorful state of Jalisco, for a winter holiday, free food and probably an inspection of his aging parents’ […]

The first detailed scientific account of Lake Chapala was written by Henri Guillaume Galeotti. It was based on a visit to Chapala in February-March 1837. The article was published first in French in 1839, and then shortly afterwards in Spanish in El Mosaico Mexicano. It remains unclear precisely why Galeotti prepared his excellent article devoted to the […]

One of my readers asked me to describe a typical day here in the Lake Chapala area of Mexico. Others have asked, “What do you do all day?” So, I am inviting you to spend this day with me in the charming colonial village of Ajijic. Only my screen doors are closed so I can […]

Dear Blue:   “Is there a Spanish Language school in Ajijic?” LK There are no Spanish Language Schools in Chapala or Ajijic. There are several in Guadalajara and in other major Mexican cities. I recommend the Spanish Language School in Guadalajara. They have 5-hour per day intensive language programs with very small classes and excellent instructors. […]

Anyone interested in purchasing land Lakeside has watched the prices skyrocket over the last two years. It’s next to impossible to find single lots because the contractors are buying open land, subdividing and offering construction lots — a combination land and building deal. Several friends and myself banded together a couple of months ago and […]

Last week my good friend celebrated her sixtieth birthday with a once-in-a lifetime street party near Six Corners in the Village of Ajijic. Linda moved here four years ago after a thirty-four year career with the New York City Board of Education on the Upper West Side/West Harlem in Manhattan. She was a real city […]

Yesterday was Palm Sunday and I observed, with a feeling of respect and rapture, the local Mexicans begin to celebrate Semana Santa (Holy Week). As I drove to meet my friend who lives on Hidalgo, the street of Ajijic processions, I was amazed. Men, women and children were sweeping the street in front of their […]

Santa Semana (Easter week) captured center stage last month in Ajijic. For me, it was a chance to really appreciate both the Mexican customs as well as enjoying some from back home. The celebrations of our Mexican hosts begins with The Seven Sorrows of the Virgin Mary on Friday, April 11: “Processions and special altars […]

Last month, during the holidays, I experienced a magical mix of south and north-of-the border celebrations. My parents visited for two weeks during Christmas, which made it a special time for me. In anticipation of their visit, I decided to decorate the house and put up a tree. Although not a particularly charitable act, I […]

Posted by Suzanne on June 28, 1997: We’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading this site recently and now have another question. With a lake the size of Lake Chapala there must be pleasure boating but haven’t found much info. We’re thinking about bringing a boat or buying there. Does anyone know about marinas, boats for sale, boating […]

The north shore of Lake Chapala is alive with the arts in all their manifestations. Music and dance — from folk to classical, theater in English at the Lakeside Little Theatre, book clubs and creative writing groups complement the offering of galleries. Here are some suggestions to get you started. The telephone numbers are local. […]

VILLAGE IN THE SUN HOUSE IN THE SUN CANDELARIA’S COOKBOOK ALL by DANE CHANDOS These books were written in the early 1940s and VILLAGE IN THE SUN is still considered to be one of the most endearing books written about Mexico to this day. Set in the area of Ajijic, Jalisco, it gives a delightful view of […]

The earliest human inhabitants of the Lake Chapala area were probably nomadic tribes of Indians who had settled on the shores and islands of the lake, catching fish, extracting salt, and trying to herd wild game towards the water’s edge so that it would get bogged down in the mud. By the time the Spanish […]

Candelaria is back, with her special logic, folk wisdom and Mexican home-style recipes in the bilingual ‘Las Recetas de Candelaria,’ or ‘Candelaria’s Cookbook.’ Readers of Dane Chandos’ charming ‘Village in the Sun’, about life around Lake Chapala in the ‘40s, will recall Candelaria as the cook who ‘could carry in her head scores and scores of recipes.’ […]

Cogan’s Reviews I’m not sure how come I’ve lived in Mexico these last seven years and never got around to reading this rather well known account of life in Ajijic a good half century ago. This seems to be about the time that the earliest arrivals from up north “discovered” the place and decided to […]

Cogan’s Reviews My spies tell me that author Scofield used to live in Ajijic and that Lago de Luz, the setting for her novel, is in fact Ajijic. If so, here’s her description of the village: “Lago de Luz, on the altiplano far from the sea, where it is neither hot nor cold, boasts no […]

Cogan’s Reviews I reviewed Chandos’s other book, “House in the Sun”, in MexConnect a couple of months ago and now I’m catching up on what was actually the author’s first book, published four years earlier. The later book covered his life in Ajijic, running a bed & breakfast and dealing with a mixed bag of visitors, as […]

Cogan’s Reviews I think there are two audiences for Dru Pearson’s latest book. The first is the same as the audience for her first book, Retire in Mexico, which I reviewed here in 2004. That one was aimed very definitely at those people at various stages of contemplating making the big leap and settling, either part-time or […]

Cogan’s Reviews Here’s an unusual volume with ten individual authors, each of whom is independent of the other nine except for the fact they all reside – either full or part-time – in the Lake Chapala area of Mexico. Their book consists of some 45 or more pieces of fiction and non-fiction plus a poem […]

Cogan’s Reviews Here’s a story that takes in a complete life, from childhood well into adulthood, and from rags to riches. It’s a story that is of interest to we residents in the Lake Chapala area as it starts out in Ajijic and covers a fair number of years there – or should I say here. […]

Cogan’s Reviews There are two occasions when writing a book review is a particularly pleasant experience. One is when you hated the book and now you have the opportunity to punish the author for wasting your time and money. The other is when you really loved the book and you just want to say nice […]

Once upon a time, in the previous century, an old journalist and his still-beautiful bride were pondering retirement and escape from Washington, D.C. They had roots and land on the original TVA lake in Tennessee and that was going to be home, sweet home for spring, summer and football season. But Tennessee winters can be […]

Granddaughter Kim couldn’t resist. Our slender, pert redhead scampered along the flatland toward the water. Thousands of white pelicans immediately got the message. After a second or three of awkward, cumbersome struggle, they got the heck out of there. Aloft, these majestic birds are among God’s most handsome creations. Big. Graceful. Glorious. Soaring. Gliding. Circling. […]

In the early 1960s, Ajijic was gaining something of a reputation as a hang-out for ‘bohemians’ and later for hippies. Historian and MexConnect author Jim Tuck once described 1965 in Ajijic as “The Year of the Purge” when “resident hippies were unceremoniously escorted to the city limits”. In Tuck’s words, “Those who remained were serious […]

As Yogi Berra might say, 90 per cent of the world is changing. The other half is making adjustments. Among relatively recent arrivals to the shores of Lake Lirio (formerly Lake Chapala before water hyacinth took over the top), only Tony Burton and a few astute historians can begin to describe the changes a few […]

Ancient Chinese proverb say ox in ditch bad news. Really bad if your ox. Lirio (water hyacinths) on Lake Chapala, in the colorful state of Jalisco, in this magical country called Mexico, is bad news. Because the ugly green carpet spent too much of the winter at our end of the lake, it’s really bad — […]

If man’s best friend is really a dog, Nick Lampiris is richly blessed. He has 37. Many colors, sizes and ages, pleasantly healthy, tails wagging, happy bounce to their steps. Some were hungry orphans. Some were rescued from the streets, before or after contact. Some were rejects from weary owners. Some were handed off by […]

Corn was the crop of choice 17 years ago when we landed in Mexico, on the shores of Lake Chapala. Everybody who had a patch of ground had a corn patch. More land, more corn, some for tamales, some for farm animals, some for the market. A surge in tequila sales created a shortage of agave. […]

Aguilar Perez is my favorite Mexican historian, in part because she knows all about our favorite small town, Jocotepec, at the west end of picturesque Lake Chapala, in the colorful state of Jalisco. She and we are near enough to the Guadalajara airport for quick getaways, but a reasonable distance, we think, from other congestion […]

Tony Burton’s passion is Mexico, and particularly Western Mexico. Most readers of MexConnect find his many articles on Mexico to be both fascinating and useful, articles with titles like “Guayabitos – the Family Vacation Spot,” or the four-part series, “Can Mexico’s Largest Lake Be Saved,” or “Butterflies by the Million: The Monarchs of Michoacán.” Burton currently puts […]

At age seventy-five, Peter Larson gave away or threw out most of his old life, packed up what was left into a few boxes, got into his old red Pontiac and drove south, to Mexico, to begin a new life. It was in late spring, toward the end of the dry season in the tropical […]

Moving to Mexico’s Lake Chapala: Checklists, How-To’s, and Practical Information and Advice for Expats and Retirees By Lisa L. Jorgensen Mexico Expat Press, 2012 Available from Amazon Books: Paperback This book really does tell you about everything you need to know if you are planning to move to Lake Chapala, one of the most popular retirement […]

Ajijic: 500 Years of Adventures Produced by the Thomas Paine Chapter National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution 2011 This charming little book, put together by the Thomas Paine Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, was compiled by long-term Ajijic residents Alexandra Bateman and Nancy Bollenbach. The Thomas Paine chapter of […]

Living at Lake Chapala By Judy King Mexico Insights Books, 2013 Available from Amazon Books: Paperback Judy King’s Living at Lake Chapala is a must have book for any expatriate living at Lake Chapala, and it is a very useful book for any expatriate anywhere in Mexico. It is a book to keep beside the bed, or on the coffee […]

Living in New York and Los Angeles, while good for one’s metabolism, is not that great for one’s patience. Who has time to stop and smell the roses? Who stops? Who smells? What roses? When I moved to Ajijic in 1995, I assumed qualities like honesty, integrity, kindness, patience and, above all, respect, would be […]

“What is Christmas like in Mexico?” asked my friend, Edward. It didn’t take much encouragement for me to eagerly share this experience: Once upon a Christmas nighttime, in a tiny village on the shores of Lake Chapala in the State of Jalisco, began las posadas, which means “the inns.” At the shy invitation of my beloved housekeeper, […]

In the ancient Nahuatl language, Ajijic means “The Place Where Water Springs Forth.” This year marks the 40th anniversary of an historic event: the Great Geyser Eruption. It is said to have been the tallest in the world at 260 feet, while Old Faithful gushes in at a mere 185. Jack McDonald reported in a […]

Along with many other expatriates living in Mexico, we occasionally hear of a famous one who lives, or once lived, among us. We know that Helen Hayes, Erich Fromm and Maurice Evans lived in Cuernavaca, and Tennessee Williams, D. H. Lawrence and Somerset Maugham lived in Ajijic. Just a few years ago, I had Christmas […]

Mexico’s economic downturn may be worse than those of other nations, because so much of Mexico’s economy depends on tourism. Mexico City is desperate to restore its tourism industry; perhaps they’re suffering from an abundance of media coverage of killings, kidnappings, and cartels. What can Mexico possibly come up with to attract tourists under this […]

Mexico’s economic downturn may be worse than those of other nations, because so much of Mexico’s economy depends on tourism. Mexico City’s solution is the Tourist Assistance Card, offering insurance for medical, legal, and flight delays. Cancun has a problem with no sand on their beaches, a problem so severe that the Mexican Navy was […]

Feria Maestros del Arte has been called a “heart” show and not just another “art” show because the artists pay nothing to attend — no booth fee, no percentage of sales. We find local families willing to house them for the three days they are here and we feed them while they are at the show. […]

This article is Part 4 of Tony Burton’s series: “Can Mexico’s Largest Lake be Saved?” . Part 1: May, 1997 – Can Mexico’s Largest Lake be Saved? Part 2: March, 2000 – The State of The Lake. Part 3: March, 2001 – The Future of Lake Chapala–Suggestions For Discussion Part 5: April 2003 – A review of “The Lerma-Lake Chapala […]

MexConnect reprinted, with permission, this article on the 50th anniversary of its original publication in Ford Times, the monthly magazine of the Ford Motor Company. John Russell Clift, the author and illustrator, was born in 1925 and at the peak of his career in the 1950s when he wrote this piece, one of the earliest […]

Although Lake Chapala’s north shore is quaint and beautiful, services are world class. From cozy B&Bs to gracious hotels and bungalows, the traveler will find the perfect place to feel at home in either Chapala, Ajijic or Jocotepec. Some inns, bed and breakfasts and hotels are like private homes in garden settings behind the walls, […]

“In Mexico I have found an outlet for creative talents never tapped before. You can do what ever you want. Pick up a plastic bag and make something out of it. Pick up a seed pod, paint it and add legs, and it’s an animal. Where else but in Mexico would someone put a fancy […]

As a home-based working mother I recently found myself faced with an annual quandary: how to keep my two restless pre-teens entertained over their summer holiday and simultaneously squeeze some quality time into an already busy agenda. Inspiration came from a handsome coffee table book entitled Espacios del Lago de Chapala * (see note below) featuring dozens of […]

The graceful 18th century Parroquia de San Andrés, is not only Ajijic’s chief landmark, but also the hub around which village life revolves. It is the focal point for those important milestones that bind the close-knit Mexican family: baptisms, first communions, confirmations, weddings and funerals. Poised in its multi-tiered campanario are the four bells that mark the […]

Set on the shore of Lake Chapala, the town of Ajijic has become a center of art and culture. The Noches de Ajijic International Festival of Gastronomy and Music highlights some of the region’s best. Seven host restaurants offer special menus prepared for the occasion by outstanding guest chefs. Other festival activities will draw residents […]

2004 turned out to be another fortuitous year for Lake Chapala. According to data issued by the National Water Commission (CNA), accumulated rainfall registered nationwide in 2004 ran nine per cent above the previous year’s figures and 16 per cent above the historic average. On November 1, the first day of the 2004-2005 hydrological cycle, […]

Today Mary and I set out to drive completely around Lake Chapala, Mexico’s biggest lake. It’s quite an undertaking, about a 180-mile drive. Before hitting the road, we went to “Sanborns” for breakfast. I ordered my own breakfast in Spanish, asking for eggs, ham, and orange juice. This was the second time I’d tried to […]

Chapala, el mayor lago natural de México está muriendo. En este tiempo el lago juega un papel vital en un gigantesco ecosistema, la cuenca hidrológica del río Lerma – lago Chapala, que incluye a más de 8 millones de personas, 3,500 de industrias diversas, 750,000 hectáreas de tierras de riego y 14 ciudades con poblaciones […]

The interview with Ricardo Gonzalez was one of the most interesting I have done yet. On the surface he appears to be a simple workingman, but after speaking to him, you realize that behind the facade of simplicity, there is a strong mind at work. We began the interview with the subject painting. He says […]

I have just had a very enlightening interview with a young man who some of you may know. Bruno is the owner of Ajijic Original T-Shirts, the small gallery/gift shop right down from Bancomer in Ajijic. His story is like many others in this wonderful, talent-ridden town. Born to Jose Mariscal and Sara Lazaro, Bruno […]

There was sunlight pouring through the stained glass window depicted on this month’s cover, as I sat down to interview its creator, Sergio Aimar, at his studio and home in Seis Esquinas. Born in Mexico City on October 7, 1968, his parents moved to Guadalajara six months following, where young Sergio remained until he was […]

On Saturday, June 3rd, residents of Lakeside, schools, and visitors from Guadalajara, came together in a showing of support for Lake Chapala in the first annual, Hands Around the Lake event, which happened simultaneously in nearly 40 locations along its shores. For a first effort it showed promise, and underlined that Lake Chapala needs much […]

Recently, I had the pleasure of interviewing Efren Gonzalez at his home in Ajijic, a home he is building entirely from the sale of his paintings. For years he has struggled with the dream of living and supporting his family from his art; a dream he now realizes everyday, brick by brick. Born on June […]

This months cover features an example of Huichol yarn painting, Cuadros Estambrados, a transformational art form to the artists and shamans of the Huichol people, who use it to depict their myths, sacred totems, and stories. This particular example sprung from the imagination of Justyn Vallori, a local artist and psychic who says she was drawn […]

This month’s cover features an etching by local artist and graphoanalyst, Rita Pomade, who admits to having a life-long fascination with lines and their potential for expression. Rita works in pen and ink, printmaking, linocuts, and pastel, as well as interpreting the lines of her client’s handwriting, for which she studied two and a half years in […]

Efren Gonzalez was born and raised in Ajijic, a student of the Santos Degollado Secondary School, at the top of Encarnacion Rosas. Never did the artist dream he would be the painter commissioned to adorn the huge wall facing the main entrance. The town of Chapala agreed to pay 1500 pesos, hardly the cost of […]

This month’s cover proudly displays the work of Ajijic native, Javier Zaragoza. The Artist was discovered by Niell James, an author and pioneer in this area. She also was the founder of the LCS (Lake Chapala Society) and upon her death, willed her estate to the organization. In those days, Ms. James would supply art […]

Mexico’s Lake Chapala and Ajijic: The Insiders Guide to the Northshore for International Travelers by Teresa A. Kendrick is a comprehensive 170-plus page guide to one of the most sought-after destinations in Mexico. Designed for the traveler, the book includes detailed information about the geography and ecology of the area by Tony Burton, wise cultural […]

Artists from the Ajijic-Chapala-Riberas area of Jalisco joined together June 6, 2003 to meet one another, renew collaborations and celebrate the upcoming rainy season at the new Kimball Gallery in Chapala. Organizer Jacqueline Stewart called the event the ” Fiesta de las Chicharras” to honor the locusts that herald the rainy season in this part of […]

Often, when we think of starving children, we’re thinking about Central Africa or parts of India or even remote areas of South America. But Mexico has its share of the poor, as close by as the Chapala area. Some children are, in fact, so impoverished as to border on that critical brink of lack of […]

The men and women in the Chapala-Ajijic area whom I admire the most are those who can give so generously of their time to help others (without expecting anything in return), and Lakeside seems to be overrun with them. One such humanitarian organization (it is, I believe, truly humanitarian in the same league as those […]

The Naked Stage, Ajijic’s biting and sexy new minimalist theatre, has another successful reading sceduled for November — Rabbit Hole. Winner of the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for drama, the play premiered as a film this past September (2010) at the Toronto Film Festival starring Nicole Kidman. Its next performance will be Psychopathia Sexualis by John Patrick Shanley, directed by […]

AF&AM AJIJIC Lodge #31 (Working under the jurisdiction of the Most Worshipful York Grand Lodge of Mexico, F. & A. M.) Axixic Lodge #31 is located in Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexico, and was founded in 1987. Since its founding, the Lodge has been an activity member of the community, and growing! From eight founding members, the Lodge has […]

To Part One:  Agreement to purchase Part Two:  Buying the house Now that the house was legally mine, I had to make some important decisions about how I would go about restoring the property. Alberto and I spent two exhausting weekends cleaning the house with the help of some hardworking guys who took the rubbish away, cleaned […]

To Part Two:  Buying the house Part Three: Restoration: time to make decisions This is a story about my love affair with an old house in Mexico. It began in February 2004, when I did a road trip across Mexico and ended my journey on the shores of Lake Chapala. Exploring Chapala town one day, I […]

To Part One:  Agreement to purchase Part Three: Restoration, time to make decisions The first step on my journey to buy the Mi Pullman house had been achieved — the family had agreed to sell. However, the distance between agreeing to sell me the house and making the escritura was vast — I had no idea that the […]

Bob and Judie Terry are not only veterans of the Peace Corps — which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year — they actually met at a National Peace Corps Association meeting. Judie (whose mother was one of the first female pilots in the United States) had always had a longing for far-off places and for […]

Well, She came out to the lake again last Sunday. Driving in a specialized open car, The Virgin of Zapopan and the Bishop came from Her home, the Basilica of Zapopan to spend the day at the lake, bringing blessings, visiting friends and admirers in several of the lakeside communities. In all those lakeside communities, […]

Christianizing their way around Lake Chapala in the early 1500s, taking the path of least resistance, Franciscan missionaries left each well-established settlement of Indians with their centuries-old community name. As the Franciscans were moving from village to village, they were selecting a Patron Saint for each new congregation, then adding the Saint’s name to the […]

For centuries Indians have been leaving offerings of votive bowls and clay figurines in Lake Chapala for the deities of the waters. Today the Huichol Indians of Jalisco and Nayarit continue the tradition. But their story has a peculiar twist. One person’s mythology is another person’s religion. The Huichols have a vast store of both. […]

As a newcomer to the area, I wonder if your excellent magazine could assist me in understanding a couple of things. Is it correct that the language of this area at the time of the conquistadors was Nahuatl, the language of the Azteca? If so, when did the language cease to be used around the […]

Two distinct kinds of pelican thrive in Mexico. Excluding exotic species held captive in zoos, the American White Pelican is North America’s largest flying bird. It grows to about 1.58 meters (5 feet 2 inches) in length, weighing up to 11 kilos (25 pounds), with a wingspan of up to 2.74 meters (9 feet). Its […]

Born in Austria, Rauch survived the horrors of WWII and began painting seriously in Vienna in 1949. Strongly influenced by his fellow Viennese painters Egon Schiele, Gustav Klimt and Oskar Kokoschka, he held his first one-man show in 1952 in Vienna and became a member of the prestigious “Wiener Secession.” Since then he has had […]

This news bulletin just in: Mexico considers revising history books. Another holiday proposed. Famous explorer discovers Jocotepec! Okay, maybe not in the way Christopher Columbus did his thing. It appears several somebodies previously found Jocotepec — or maybe it was never lost. But it has been mostly ignored or taken for granted far beyond politeness. […]

Happiness is following memorable footsteps under more favorable conditions. Most of 50 years ago, outside London, Ontario, brothers Jim and Jack Young acquired an old truck and bulldozer and made a bold move up in the world. In good weather they hauled gravel and helped build roads. In bad weather they moved snow. Their little […]

Mexico is a haven for exiles where the braver or weaker or more foolish can find themselves or re-create themselves or… lose themselves. T. M. Spooner’s novel, Notes from Exile, is a lakeside story, and because it is, I feel a certain nostalgic empathy for the book. It’s hard not to considering the number of years I’d […]

An old man smiles, crooked teeth in a beautiful mouth, head cocked to the left, eyes squinting with delight. A young woman, softly rounded and warmed by sunlight, gazes hopefully into the future. A fisherman stares pensively into space. He waits, expectantly, but resigned. The portraits are evocative, the technique flawless. I wander through the […]

The area’s reputation was considerably enhanced in the 1930s, ’40s and’ 50s by a long string of visiting writers and artists, many of whom settled permanently in the string of villages along the northern shore of the lake. This brief alphabetical listing of some of the stalwarts of the Lake Chapala art and literary scene […]

and a second picture essay: Marsha Sorensen lived in Ajijic in the mid and late1960s, and made two extended visits in 1972 and 1973. Revisting Ajijic in 2008 for the first time in thirty-five years, she was struck by the “astonishing changes” and searched out some photos from the old days as a contribution to […]

The Through Line: A Journey from Darkness into Life By Jay Koppelman. CreateSpace, 2010 Available from Amazon Books: Paperback Popular Ajijic photographer Jay Koppelman has two things to celebrate this winter: one, the recent opening of Studio 18, on Colón 18 in Ajijic, which features exclusively his photographs; and two, the recent publication of the first […]

The masses of beautiful violet and yellow flowers of the water hyacinth ( Eichhornia crassipes) add an attractive splash of colour in the Lake Chapala landscape during the rainy season but the lirio as the locals call it, is a serious problem for many of their economic activities. The hyacinth was first described in 1824, in Brazil. In […]

Part of the wonder and adventure of experiencing life in Ajijic, Mexico is the incredible diversity of color in the natural world — pungent reds, a range of blues, pale purples, brilliant yellows — and of form: broad leaves, lace-like foliage, sharp narrow leaves of bamboo, and fields of cultivated raspberries, set between surrounding mountains […]

Reports written some years ago about Jalapa, (or Xalapa as the locals prefer to spell it) Veracruz in MexConnect caught my eye. These tout the pleasant climate, cultural attractions, the presence of universities, lack of foreigners, and metropolitan character. My wife and I thought it would be a pleasant contrast from Ajijic where we live year-round. In […]