Saturday, October 28, 2017

Morning Thoughts



Chico is looking towards the window. It is closed most morning these days because the air is very cold now. But he loves to listen to all the noise outside. We are coming into one of the noisiest times of the year, the Day of the Dead, which means many days, not just one. Last night and early this morning, the dogs were going crazy because of the fireworks were already going off. My neighbors have three little dogs and one large dog and they all hate the fireworks. I remember the first night I slept here, I thought someone was breaking into my fence because they all throw themselves against a wooden door every time there is a loud noise from the fireworks. I have lived here over two years and they still react the same way with each time. 

One year my neighbors closed off my street, put tables and chairs outside and partied all night long. Loud music, fireworks, eating and drinking, what a night. 

There is so much going on in all the towns that I could not possibly see it all. There are people at the cemeteries, cleaning the graves and putting beautiful wreaths on them and in the evening, sitting on the graves of their loved ones, eating and drinking and playing music.  There are all the altars in Chapala where they have closed off a couple of streets. There are several parades. Today is the Thriller Dance in the afternoon at the Ajijic Plaza and then a parade.  I will for sure make it to that. And I have been invited to go Trick or Treating with friends. I am looking forward to that too. 

These next few days will not be times of relaxing in the peace and quiet.  There won't be any peace and quiet. 

Thursday, October 26, 2017

Morning thoughts

It is cold here in the mornings. Much too cold for me to go swimming. I am going to have to get used to swimming in the afternoons, when it is always crowded. I forget that we have a winter here too.I only remember after it arrives and it is cold in the mornings and nights. 

This is the weekend of the Day of the Dead. The Thriller Dance will happen on Saturday in the Ajijic plaza. Last year I didn't have a camera that worked. This year I hope to get some good photos of it. I always enjoy this event. And I have been invited to go Trick or Treating with friends and their litte girl. We will go early in the evening so I can get photos of that too. All the altars will be set up in Chapala and people will be cleaning the graves and spending time with their dead loved ones. 

I am almost completely over my Broncitis, or whatever it was. I was never told, just given a useless shot and useless medicine. And overcharged.  I think usually TIME is the best healer for illnesses like that.

It is great to be able to go outside again, and just in time for the holiday. Last year my neighbors closed off the street and brought in tables and chairs and had an all night party. No sleeping for me but it was fun for awhile to listen to the loud music. I must remember to get some candy for their children. 


HAPPY HALLOWEEN


Tuesday, October 24, 2017

Morning Thoughts

This morning for the first time in weeks I am going swimming. It is still cold outside and I am still a little sick. But if I don't go I will end up stark raving mad from all these days of just sitting around the house. I can understand why solitary confinement is such a horrible punishment.

This weekend is the Day of the Dead weekend. Lots of things will be happening. I feel good right now and that is a plus. Maybe I will be able to go out and enjoy some of the activities.

This morning a friend commented on my blog and I was unable to post her comment or answer her. For some crazy reason blogpost has changed things around. Now instead of sending comments to me so I can post them, they send them to another site that is totally incomprehensible to me. So I cannot post comments nor can I answer comments. I will try being patient. That worked the last time blogspot messed up my blog. I must apologize to anyone trying to reach me through the blog. It just won't happen for now... I may have to bring in a computer expert. I am seeing one this weekend. Maybe he can figure it out and get it working again.  In the meantime, I apologize for this next glitch......

Thursday, October 19, 2017

Morning Glories





These are all the same flower. I was so happy to be able to take a short walk with Chico that I put on all three photos, for good luck. And for hoping to be well soon. 

Feeling better

Today I feel well enough to write a little bit on the blog. But still am not completely well. One very important thing I have learned is that if I walk into a clinic or doctor's office and see NO Mexican patients, to walk right out. I can't stress enough how there are two economies here, the Expat and the Mexican. Just as people joke about there being two times. M.T. And E.T. Mexican time or expat time. If you are dealing with Mexican time, well just be patient. That time could end up many hours later than agreed upon, or even days or weeks later.  Or not at all. And don't bother calling that person because you will just get another time set up that won't be met. At that point just give it up and go on with your life.  You can mostly count on Expat time. 

When I first got sick, I could have walked about two blocks further to the Ajijic Hospital and seen a doctor for 300 pesos. Instead I thought I would try the clinic just one block from my house. The doctor was walking out the door as I walked in so I only saw the nurse. She listened to my lungs and gave me a shot and a hand full of prescriptions to have filled.

 When I went to the counter to pay I knew I was in trouble because the clerk was adding up a very long line of figures. It came to Two thousand pesos and I hadn't even seen the doctor. Then is when I looked around the waiting room and saw no Mexicans.  But it was too late for me by then.

They rented me a nebulizer for three days at eighty pesos a day. When I took it back I complained about that bill. And said I was feeling worse. The nurse said that I was really sick and needed to see the doctor and she would see if she could get the appointment a bit less expensive for me. I was sicker than when I first walked in the door a few days earlier.  And I was angry at the bill, about ten times what other doctors charge, IF the doctor hasn't decided to go the expat way of treatment and billing. I will never return to that clinic and only see doctors that I already know, reasonably priced ones.  

Anyway I wasn't even told what was wrong with me. I could hardly breathe. So I am guessing broncitis. I am writing about this as a warning to new people. Find a good, inexpensive doctor before you get sick. Don't let yourself get caught up in the net of expat prices.   Unless you are rich enough that price means nothing to you. Then I say, lucky you and ignore the rest of this post. 

I am still a little sick. It has been about three weeks. I am guessing that I could have stayed in bed all that time and had the same results as paying to see that  nurse and buying all those meds. They did nothing to help me either. 

  This place is really changing. I must be more careful with each encounter here now in order to avoid the expat economy. I do my best not to write anything negative on my blog. It always returns tenfold but I am very upset at their charges. I will not mention the clinic. I just want to warn others about how things have changed here and to be careful before you see the doctor, and ask what to expect to be charged. Look around the waiting room. Are there any Mexicans? If not, you can guess that you are going to be charged expat prices. 

Many very fine doctors here charge three hundred pesos a visit and specialists charge six hundred pesos, maybe a little more now. But I have never been charged two thousand pesos just to see a nurse and get a shot. As I wrote earlier, things have changed here. Since I am still sick, I won't write much more for a few days. I just wanted to get this off my mind as a warning to others. 

Friday, October 6, 2017

Chico and I walk home from the Ajijic Plaza



I love to see men taking care of their babies.



This man cares nothing about the light. Red light? Who cares. No one is going to run into a man on a horse. So he went on across the street.













Old Photos of Ajijic Displayed in the Ajijic Plaza

Today I took a walk with Chico to the plaza. I took a lot of photos so I am going to divide them up a bit. They have a display in the plaza now of Ajijic in the past. I didn't see when they were taken. All I got were photos of the photos. 


I am also adding some photos of the plaza as it is now. Thought it would be an interesting contrast because some of these photos on display were taken where the plaza is located now.



















Looks like some things haven't changed much. This boy is taking a rest from selling vegetables. 




I took this from inside the coffee shop. Outside is a woman at a stand selling carpets and there is a mirror on the wall inside making it look like two women selling the carpets.



Chico makes a friend. Or maybe not. When his ears go back like that, it means he is not happy.