The last couple of days have been busy – and the Internet service at our B&B has been slow and sporadic – so my blogging has suffered. But in the meantime we’ve been enjoying the sights and treasures of southern Mexico.
Friday a group of up took a trip to Lake Chapala which is the largest lake in Mexico and about 40 miles from here. The lake has several inlets but no outlets so is quite polluted but from a distance looks quite pretty. Our guide told us there are about 450,000 ex-pats (Americans) living all around the lake and apparently with the low cost of living and great exchange rate, it’s the way to live in luxury for not much dinero.
After a tour of the main town and a visit to the local flea market next to the lake, we went to the 2nd largest town on the lake which is Ajijic. We parked near the lake and wandered the square and little streets for an hour or so and then went to a B&B for a delicious lunch. We sat out on the grounds near the lake and had Azteca sopa (tortilla soup with avacados and cream) and turkey/guacamole/sprout sandwiches plus our drinks – I think with the tip our meal was almost $15! Beauty setting and first-class service.
Friday evening there was special entertainment in the central square and we were the honored guests with front-row seats. First there were the local dancers and then the female mariachi band – all of them very talented and we were surprised to hear that the band was actually the “B” team! However the “A” team is coming to Springfield in early May for Artsfest.
While we watched the performers, there were people going through the crowds and pouring free tequila shots. It was NOT the 20-year old stuff though.
After the concert, our friend Enrique treated us to drinks and tapas at a local restaurant. There were several local Rotarians there as well as members of the local Sister Cities Board so we had a fun group. Burl and Theresa matched each other on tequila shots for a while while I settled for a cerveza.
The rest of our group left yesterday morning and we are staying for a couple of extra days on our own. So after breakfast, we caught bus #647 and went to Gualajuara Centro to visit the market that has hundred – maybe thousands – of vendors. Surprisingly we didn’t get lost and Burl was able to get a leather motorcycle jacket he had spied earlier for about half of the original asking price. That man loves a bargain!
We returned to Tlaquepaque around 2 and had lunch and then settled into the villa where we are spending the last two days. It’s part of the B&B but is located about half a block away. The amenities include 2 bedrooms, a kitchen and a living area but it’s actually a bit smaller than the poolside suite we had earlier in the week – and it has no air conditioning and we have discovered the hot water only goes to lukewarm! Oh well – it’s still a neat place and we’re enjoying it.
Burl had booked a pedicure for me so I ordered a masseuse for him – both of them came to our villa and we felt quite pampered. Wish I’d opted for a manicure too – guess that will wait until next time.
We stayed “home” last night – had Happy Hour at the B&B by the pool and then walked to the central square and got a beer and dinner at the largest cantina in the world. The experience was fun but after being continually hassled by vendors (flowers, pictures, mariachi serenaders, etc.) we doubt we’ll return.
We called it an early evening and went back to the villa and watched “Little Miss Sunshine” which we got from the B&B – and surprisingly managed to stay awake despite a full and rich day of activities.
Today we took a taxi to the town of Tonola which is another ‘burb of Guadalajara and has a huge market on Sundays. We walked through the gazillion booths that wandered in every direction and bought a few goodies although we are starting to realize we have to pack it all up and take it home tomorrow.
We’re back for a bit before we take off on our next adventure. It’s our last night in Mexico so we want to make the most of our experience.
Adios!
