21 replies to this topic

[bloomingoodgal]

Who has lived on the South Shore and moved to the North Shore? What were your reasons for moving? Am curious as to whether it was boredom, language, lack of shopping, loneliness, or whatever?

[nomastejas]

if you are a city person, and not a country person the south side is not for you...

[elchante]

i lived for a year on the north shore and have lived on the south shore for about five months now, so hardly an expert about either. however, with that disclaimer being made, i can say that i moved to the south short primarily because it is less expensive. on the north shore, i lived in el chante (between san juan cosala and jocotepec) in a gated community inhabited mainly by tapatios. for the most part, i only had neighbors on the weekends. on the south shore i live in a small house right on the lake in san cristobal.

language is not a problem for me here, even though my spanish is at about a second-grade level (assuming there were 12 grades). i do not get lonesome, but then i'm a rather solitary person and can amuse myself. my friends come to visit me and i go to visit them. after all, it's only about 7 miles from jocotepec to san cristobal. in the US i lived and worked in national parks and it was a MUCH longer distance to go into town. as for shopping, i can get most everything i need food-wise in san cristobal. i do go into joco to aurerra bodega and the mercado about once a week and probably go into chapala once a month. (i have to admit i pretty much avoid ajijic like the plague.)

i love it on the south shore. unfortunately my landlord wants the house i'm renting back in a year or so for his weekend use, so i'll be looking around for someplace else then. i haven't decided whether to move even further away on the south shore or to move into joco.

it seems to me that there's a belief within the gringo community on the north shore, particularly among those who live in ajijic (based on forum postings i read), that the south shore is way out in the sticks and only fit for habitation by gringos who are total hermits. i don't find that to be true. of course, i have neither the need nor the desire to be very social. when i tell mexicans that i live in san cristobal, they inevitably say "es muy tranquilo, no?". and it is....tranquil and, for the most part, quiet. and i like it that way.

[the walkers]

we hate to drive and haven't started our car this year. in ajijic or san antonio you can walk everywhere, or take the bus. on the south shore ,if you need more than rice and beans you must drive. also, if you like cable or internet alot of those towns just don't have the infrastructure to deliver those services. most of us here don't live in gated communities but in mexican neighborhoods. you don't have to live out of town to have mexican friends. .....

[Kerry]

El Chante, how is your Internet, cell and phone service out there? Is it a municipal water system or your own well or is it trucked in? I haven't heard much about the infrastructure that way.

Thanks in advance,
Kerry

[elchante]

Kerry, in san cristobal we have municipal water. cell phones work fine in most places. i was told that there are no available phone numbers for landlines here so to get internet, i use Telcel's 3G Banda Ancha, which is a little portable modem. it operates off the cell towers like a cell phone does. my personal signal is not particularly strong, but that's likely because my house sits lower than all the houses around it. (i'm almost at lake level while the other houses sit on built-up land.) my neighbor, who is much more conversant with all things computer-related, has suggested that using a yagi antenna would boost my signal considerably. but the only thing it takes a really long time to do via internet is large downloads, which i don't do anyway. in san luis, i understand internet is readily available, as it is in points east of there.

electricity service is as good here as where i lived on the north shore. it does go out occasionally during high winds or heavy rains, but it does that on the north side of the lake too. SKY satellite tv is available here. there are buses that run frequently from here into joco and into san luis and taxis are always around should you need them. the propane trucks and bottled water trucks come by almost daily and trash is picked up five days a week. and the tiendas, abarottes, panaderia, and carniceria definitely sell more than rice and beans.

i did not mean to imply in my previous post that gringos on the north shore don't live in mexican neighborhoods. as i mentioned, even in the gated community where i lived my neighbors were almost all mexican. but here in san cristobal there are three gringas (including me). that's it.

i personally really like the south shore. however, it's not for everyone -- i'm aware of that. i do feel, however, that there are a lot of misconceptions about it.

[Kiko]

I'm still trying to figure this out: if you need more than rice and beans you must drive;

Duh?

[khof]

We've been looking at property on the south shore for a couple of years, but find it too remote.
Most places have no hope of getting internet or phone in our lifetime, and reliable electricity is a big problem.
We saw properties that were full of huge ant hills .... read termites.
Friends who live over there, as well as in Joco keep scorpion antidote meds at hand all the time. The smart ones have researched and found out just where to go in an emergency situation.
While trooping around properties we came upon really big snakes. The realtor said they were harmless.
The lack of phone and internet and scarcity of emergency medical care is a deal breaker for us.

[grm]

I'm still trying to figure this out: if you need more than rice and beans you must drive;

Duh?

I think she is trying to tell you that if you eat rice and beans it makes gas.

[p598738]

Will there ever be (high speed) transportation across the Lake south to north ??

[the walkers]

if you need it explained to you---there is no supermarkets over there,no fresh fish market except the lake fish,no imported wine, etc. although we do most of our own cooking, on my night off i want at least as good a meal as i can cook at home. and i don't drive so....

I'm still trying to figure this out: if you need more than rice and beans you must drive;

Duh?

[khof]

Will there ever be (high speed) transportation across the Lake south to north ??

Are you serious????

Do you realize how big Lake Chapala is?

[Shira]

The problem is not the size of the lake. The problem is the irregular and changing depth.

[RVGRINGO]

One who is obsessed with the speed of things should move to NYC, not Mexico.

[prudence]

i have lived both sides and love it on the southside I will have a wonderful place available in TiZAPAN if you would like to see it since you will be moving.

[mascota]

Is it a rental or a for sale? Am interested in for sale.

[elchante]

i have lived both sides and love it on the southside I will have a wonderful place available in TiZAPAN if you would like to see it since you will be moving.

prudence, i sent you a PM. please check your new messages. thanks!

[khof]

Prudence, I've sent you private messages. Hope you've gotten them.
Kathi

prudence, i sent you a PM. please check your new messages. thanks!

[prudence]

[quote name='mascota' date='Aug 11 2009, 09:00 AM' post='138766']
Is it a rental or a for sale? Am interested in for sale.
It is a rental sorry but i know someone with a house for sale, if interested i will get their email address for you

[Solfeggio]

i lived for a year on the north shore and have lived on the south shore for about five months now, so hardly an expert about either. however, with that disclaimer being made, i can say that i moved to the south short primarily because it is less expensive. on the north shore, i lived in el chante (between san juan cosala and jocotepec) in a gated community inhabited mainly by tapatios. for the most part, i only had neighbors on the weekends. on the south shore i live in a small house right on the lake in san cristobal.

language is not a problem for me here, even though my spanish is at about a second-grade level (assuming there were 12 grades). i do not get lonesome, but then i'm a rather solitary person and can amuse myself. my friends come to visit me and i go to visit them. after all, it's only about 7 miles from jocotepec to san cristobal. in the US i lived and worked in national parks and it was a MUCH longer distance to go into town. as for shopping, i can get most everything i need food-wise in san cristobal. i do go into joco to aurerra bodega and the mercado about once a week and probably go into chapala once a month. (i have to admit i pretty much avoid ajijic like the plague.)

i love it on the south shore. unfortunately my landlord wants the house i'm renting back in a year or so for his weekend use, so i'll be looking around for someplace else then. i haven't decided whether to move even further away on the south shore or to move into joco.

it seems to me that there's a belief within the gringo community on the north shore, particularly among those who live in ajijic (based on forum postings i read), that the south shore is way out in the sticks and only fit for habitation by gringos who are total hermits. i don't find that to be true. of course, i have neither the need nor the desire to be very social. when i tell mexicans that i live in san cristobal, they inevitably say "es muy tranquilo, no?". and it is....tranquil and, for the most part, quiet. and i like it that way.

Interesting post, elchante, and you expressed your perspective eloquently.