By John Comando Adapted from his blog: retirednsingleblog.wordpress.com For a variety of reasons more and more Americans and Canadians are contemplating moving abroad for retirement. For many, Mexico ranks high on their list of places to explore. You may fit that category – here snowbirding and checking out the Lake Chapala area. However, there are many back …
By James Tipton Over the decades many writers have found their way to this tropical Eden, where those seeds they held inside so long suddenly found the soil they had been secretly seeking. The Ajijic Writers Group provides a home for many of these writers. But how did the Ajijic Writers Group first come about?
By Ilse Hoffmann (Published in El Ojo del Lago, November 2000) “I want to put a stop to the rumor that has been circulating around town. The one that says the old train station my family donated to the town of Chapala will be converted into a disco, bar, restaurant, casino, etc. It was donated …
By Ronald A. Barnett Monday in Chapala, Wednesday in Ajijic, Thursday in Jocotepec, the tianguis, or open street market, is a familiar weekly event at Lakeside. But did you ever wonder why these enterprising merchants and vendors get up so early and work so hard to set up their booths and displays for only a …
By Robert M. Burnet Mezcala Island, a rocky and chayote-covered outcrop near the north shore of Lake Chapala, today bears scant evidence of the long and bloody battle waged there during the Mexican War of Independence from Spain. The little-known battle has considerable historic importance, however, because of the major change it produced in the …
By June Nay Summers Ajijic was settled by people who came from the north, and their origin is explained by a legend. There was a place far to the north called “Whiteness,” and, from its seven caves, seven tribes set out towards the south. This migration probably took place in the second half of the …
Those who can call La Ribera de Chapala (Lakeside) home, definitely don’t lack of activities to make them happy and keep them busy. The natural scenery and the environment offer a wonderful opportunity to participate in physical activities, whether it’s group sports or individual activities. There are also numerous gatherings amongst locals that are dedicated …
By Neill James (Ed. Note: The following article was first published in 1946 in the magazine Modern Mexico. Ms. James, known as the “Godmother of Ajijic,” set many of her charming stories and books here at Lakeside.) Ajijic is an old, old village. Our solidly built Franciscan Church bears the date when it was finished: …
By Lawrence H. Freeman At nearly 50-70 miles long and 15-20 miles wide, covering some 417 square miles, Lake Chapala is the largest natural lake in Mexico. It is fed at its eastern end by the River Lerma, originating in the Toluca mountain range, and drained at its northeastem corner by the Rio Santiago that …
The term ecosystem was coined in 1930 to denote the physical and biological components of an environment considered in relation to each other as a unit; the whole complex of physical factors forming what we call the environment. The degree of species diversity or biological diversity – popularly referred to as biodiversity – of an …