As I promised in an earlier post, here are more photos of Ajijic murals. There are many murals on buildings and even on telephone poles in Ajijic. Murals almost every where you look. It is a beautiful town, lots of flowers and interesting doorways.
This is one of the major differences between Ajijic and Chapala. Ajijic is an artist's community. A rich artist's community.
My friend, Pat, from San Blas calls Ajijic A Mexican Disneyland because it is so beautiful and unlike other Mexican towns.
Chapala is a busy working man's town. There are photos of Chapala in the next post.
Sometimes Ajijic reminds me of Santa Cruz, California. I raised my son there. In Santa Cruz during the week it was quiet. There were many craft shops that depended on the influx of tourists for their survival. But during the 70's the off season was quiet. The owners of the shops struggled to keep open. When the tourists came in the town would be crowded and noisy.
It is the same here. Week ends are very busy, mostly with Mexican tourists from Guadalajara. They go into Chapala too. Both towns get lively on week ends.
Hotels and houses are more expensive in Ajijic. Most things are more expensive here. I do my weekly food shopping at the outdoor market that happens on Weds. but if I need anything else, I go into Chapala to shop. I think it is because the stores in Chapala deal mostly with Mexicans and the stores here in Ajijic deal with the Americans. I have to remember the rule here in Mexico, Labor is cheaper than things....For example, in the States I could easily pick up a bicycle at a yard sale or thrift store for ten dollars or less. But to have it repaired would cost me several times the cost of the bike. In Mexico used items are hard to find and when found, they are expensive but repairing them is much cheaper than the cost of the object.
I have been looking for a used refrigerator. I can't find one for under three hundred dollars here. I have given up the search. In the States, we have so much stuff. Our homes are filled with stuff and our garages are so full that there is no room for our cars. It is different in Mexico.
I have painted an idealistic picture of this area. There are problems here too. I was at the spa yesterday and over heard two American women talking. One woman said her friend's home was burglarized. She went to the police station to put in a report and while she was at the station they returned and stole her stove, microwave and TV. There are desperate people here as in every other place in the world and these hard economic times are affecting us all.
The peso dropped to 14.12 over the week end. This is good for people like me who had to get money out of the ATM machine but bad for everyone else. I have never seen the peso so low. For years it was around 10.80 to the dollar.
Prices go up too when the peso drops. I feel sorry for the maids and gardeners. They are on fixed incomes which are very low anyway. I don't know how they make it here, especially in Ajijic.
I lived in an American neighborhood last time I was here and I rarely saw Mexicans there unless they were the maids and gardeners. These are the neighborhoods that are targets for burglars. They can get into gated communities. No problem. The safest place I think to live is in a poorer Mexican community and without all the frills we take for granted in the States. Like expensive electronics. I live simply and no one bothers me. I like to live that way. The more stuff you own, the more the stuff owns you.
This is one of the major differences between Ajijic and Chapala. Ajijic is an artist's community. A rich artist's community.
My friend, Pat, from San Blas calls Ajijic A Mexican Disneyland because it is so beautiful and unlike other Mexican towns.
Chapala is a busy working man's town. There are photos of Chapala in the next post.
Sometimes Ajijic reminds me of Santa Cruz, California. I raised my son there. In Santa Cruz during the week it was quiet. There were many craft shops that depended on the influx of tourists for their survival. But during the 70's the off season was quiet. The owners of the shops struggled to keep open. When the tourists came in the town would be crowded and noisy.
It is the same here. Week ends are very busy, mostly with Mexican tourists from Guadalajara. They go into Chapala too. Both towns get lively on week ends.
Hotels and houses are more expensive in Ajijic. Most things are more expensive here. I do my weekly food shopping at the outdoor market that happens on Weds. but if I need anything else, I go into Chapala to shop. I think it is because the stores in Chapala deal mostly with Mexicans and the stores here in Ajijic deal with the Americans. I have to remember the rule here in Mexico, Labor is cheaper than things....For example, in the States I could easily pick up a bicycle at a yard sale or thrift store for ten dollars or less. But to have it repaired would cost me several times the cost of the bike. In Mexico used items are hard to find and when found, they are expensive but repairing them is much cheaper than the cost of the object.
I have been looking for a used refrigerator. I can't find one for under three hundred dollars here. I have given up the search. In the States, we have so much stuff. Our homes are filled with stuff and our garages are so full that there is no room for our cars. It is different in Mexico.
I have painted an idealistic picture of this area. There are problems here too. I was at the spa yesterday and over heard two American women talking. One woman said her friend's home was burglarized. She went to the police station to put in a report and while she was at the station they returned and stole her stove, microwave and TV. There are desperate people here as in every other place in the world and these hard economic times are affecting us all.
The peso dropped to 14.12 over the week end. This is good for people like me who had to get money out of the ATM machine but bad for everyone else. I have never seen the peso so low. For years it was around 10.80 to the dollar.
Prices go up too when the peso drops. I feel sorry for the maids and gardeners. They are on fixed incomes which are very low anyway. I don't know how they make it here, especially in Ajijic.
I lived in an American neighborhood last time I was here and I rarely saw Mexicans there unless they were the maids and gardeners. These are the neighborhoods that are targets for burglars. They can get into gated communities. No problem. The safest place I think to live is in a poorer Mexican community and without all the frills we take for granted in the States. Like expensive electronics. I live simply and no one bothers me. I like to live that way. The more stuff you own, the more the stuff owns you.
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