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 […]
Continue ReadingLa Cucaracha (The Cockroach), one of Mexico’s best known corridos, is a comic, satirical song, with infinite possibilities for creative verses. The typical chorus is: La cucaracha, la cucaracha Ya no puede caminar Porque no tiene, porque le falta Marihuana que fumar. Which translates into English as The cockroach, the cockroach Can not walk anymore Because […]
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I spent a long time studying the eyes of the Olmecs, the lips, noses and facial expressions of the Toltecs and those from Colima. It was the work of all who went before me that enabled me to do what I do today. Over a generation ago, Martín’s father, twenty-five year old Sixto Ibarra was […]
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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 […]
Continue ReadingGas is an important element in homes here in Mexico — propane gas. We use it to cook our food, heat our water, occasionally to heat our homes and dry our clothes. Now remember that this is not natural gas, but a mixture of propane and butane gas, which is a petroleum byproduct that burns […]
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Return to the U.S.The following year, Rick decided to return to North America. With financial help from brother Pete, he flew back to California. Jeanora took several of Rick’s large paintings and returned to France, planning to sell them in Paris to raise her own plane fare back. En route, she raised some funds by […]
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Celebrated 45 days before Easter (April 16th this year), Carnaval is a celebration of earthly, or carnal pleasures before the austerity and sacrifice of Lent. Beginning on the Friday before Ash Wednesday, Carnival reaches its climax on Mardi Gras — “Fat Tuesday.” Perhaps the most famous festivities are those of Rio de Janeiro and New […]
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For many foreigners living in Mexico, this is their first experience of life in a coffee growing country. Familiar brands from home are hard to find, but Mexican coffee is everywhere, in a wide range of quality and price. I live at the Chapala Lakeside at over 5,000 feet in elevation and, unlike up north, […]
Continue ReadingThe following extract is taken (with the author’s permission) from the English edition of Western Mexico: A Traveller’s Treasury by Tony Burton (3rd edition, Perception Press, 2001), available from Sombrero Bookss The least touristy town along the northern lakeshore, Jocotepec has a distinctive charm all of its own. The large central plaza which lies in the shadow of […]
Continue ReadingA Woman’s Perspective on Living in Mexico One of my readers asked me to talk about bugs and diseases. These are simply my experiences or observations and they apply to the Chapala/Ajijic lakeside area south of Guadalajara. I’m sure different parts of Mexico have their own unique vermin. I usually have one very loud mosquito […]
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