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 […]
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It all began with a casual comment by my friend Rodrigo Orozco — also known as Tarantula Man, thanks to the anti-poaching project he leads in western Mexico — when I told him about a hike I was organizing for the following Saturday. “Sorry, John,” replied Orozco, “I’m going to be tied up for the next 44 […]
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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 […]
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For a while I’ve been asking myself how it’s possible that I keep finding new natural wonders to write about after 25 years of living near Guadalajara. So, one day I sat down with a map and drew a circle around the city, with a radius of about 250 kilometers, nicely encompassing many of the […]
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Vultures (zopilotes in Spanish) are among the most conspicuous birds in many parts of Mexico. Commonly misidentified as eagles, these blackish scavengers can be seen almost anywhere, often in large flocks, either circling lazily overhead or feeding greedily on roadkill or other carrion. A few years ago, in the early morning mist at a municipal garbage dump […]
Continue ReadingAfter studying many homes here at Lake Chapala, it is interesting to learn to how much electricity each home uses and, more interesting, how much the home owner is paying for their electricity. Electricity is billed in kilowatt-hours (kWh), which is amount of electricity equivalent to using ten 100 watts bulbs continuously for one hour […]
Continue ReadingSalitre is the Spanish term commonly used for masonry “efflorescence.” Salitre is the white powdery stain that forms on the surface of bricks and concrete and can cause the stucco or paint on a wall or tiles on the floor to lift off. It is a common issue for many homes here at Lake Chapala that are made […]
Continue ReadingWe see them in just about every house here at Lake Chapala. Sometimes they are humming and others quietly sit in a corner, showing a little light on. But all are on guard, protecting our electronic devices. They are our electrical surge protectors and they come in various sizes and forms. They are serving an […]
Continue ReadingIt seems last month’s article regarding our electrical bills touched a lot of people here in my reading audience. Thank you for you kind comments and questions. I wanted to expand a little more regarding electricity use in this month’s article. One of the questions I received several times was how to determine the quantity […]
Continue ReadingThe objective of writing this column is to act independently and discuss the typical property ownership/maintenance issues and real estate concerns for existing and perspective homeowners here at Lake Chapala. As a Canadian Civil Engineer who has worked here at Lake Chapala in the local construction business and real estate industry I have in the […]
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