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Since so many of you suggested a possible fix to my lack of running water, here's the happy ending: I called Arturo--the plumber suggested--he fiddled with the pump in the aljibe. I had running water almost immediately. The switch was off. He turned it on, but said it needed to be replaced. He's going for a new one and will return to do what needs to be done. I'm so glad it wasn't any worse than that. I don't know yet what the bill will be. Lexy

That would assume one is overnighting north of Laredo. Crossing in Laredo going south takes the same amount of time as Columbia. From my hotel in Laredo to Chapala usually takes 11 hours.

And I'm calling the plumber first.

Be careful, as some of those drivers are old expats with poor vision, slow reactions, and a fear of hills and curves. Some are even afraid to stop to explore small towns, or visit a roadside restaurant, as they might be expected to be able to read a menu in Spanish, or even say 'hola', as etiquette requires in Mexico. Enjoy your trip, and stop to smell the roses.

I agree. Going north is when the Colombia crossing makes a positive difference. South, not so much and for me not worth the extra driving out to the Colombia crossing.

Sort of an history buff. I have friends in Zamora and I used to visit at times so I know a little of the history. I really like the Calzada in the mornings where all the people will walk, jog, visit with each other. Very nice. Also their mercado is super cool and large near the Santuario which is the second largest basilica in all of the Americas. Up front to the left of the nave where the padre speaks is a large concrete wall where the cristeros were assassinated by the Calles govt if they refused to renounce their Christian faith. You can still see all of the bullet holes in the wall.

My wife is on 75' surgical grade oxygen lines to allow as much mobility as I can provide her.....I used to pay 350 mxp to Lake Med for the packaged plastic lines, depending on the length and 70 mxp for a small bottle of surgical grade aqua....I pay considerably less from Amazon and I am not a fan of Amazon but the quality is better than local sources and the items last much longer as well......I would be suspect buying a line via Walmart for less than $2.00 usd after conversion. Even long length aquarium airpump lines cost more than 40 mxp, but I appreciate your response. For those not aware of the chance of infection in the lungs, great care should be taken as to the purity of the aqua added to the concentrators and the lines that provide air to the user even the filters on the concentrator must be carefully cleaned frequently. Since my wife's condition is not unusual, especially at high altitudes....I would add that she was given three to four years to live.....ten years ago. Quality Care doctors have been very helpful....there are also very new drugs, very expensive ones, that have slowed down the damage from her condition and helped with her quality of life.

I would call a plumber before I go to Simapa because if your neighbors are getting water you probably are too but a plumber ought to be able to find the problem.

Most (possibly all) of the "standing gray water" in Riberas is not the fault of the water table but the allowed process of connecting the washing machine and dishwasher to a simple gravity drain to the street. It is a mess and can start to smell funky if left standing. It also eventually ends up in the lake. The thinking seems to be that the actual septic tanks will then need to be pumped less often. None of them have a leach field as there is not room to do that in most cases. The advantage Riberas has is that since it is mostly lower in elevation the wells that service it almost never run out of water. Many subdivisions (like Los Cumbres) that are way up the hill, are still not able to drill a well because there is not enough mountain ground water up that high. They bring in water trucks to fill the aljibes. Generally all wells around here have sandy water and everybody has a system in place to deal with it. Some cotos and fracs have their own wells and do a little filtering before delivery to homes some don't. During the dry months you'll notice more water issues as well levels drop. One of the many charms of small town Mexican life that some folks aren't inclined to deal with. Alan

At the Smokehouse. Only 20 dinners for corned beef and cabbage ++. $350mp. for reservation 333-454-8671. Amador makes terrific corned beef which I buy all the time as did slainte39[RIP].

You will need about $100USD in MXN pesos for the toll roads Laredo to Chapala. There is a nice hotel HSP Hotel San Pedro in the center of the toll road with secure parking 5-6 hours south of Laredo. Do not drive at night on Mexico's highways.

Check the float (same as in toilet tank) in the aljibe. Crud builds up and it gets stuck in the up position. Move it up and down. Quick fix but good idea to replace with new one if that's the problem.

You can buy pretty good ones from Walmart Mexico, online for $40 pesos. Delivered to Walmart Chapala.

Very sorry to hear about this Fred. All the best to you and Barbara ! Thanks for sharing your story and Buyer Beware at Lakeside Medical.

Unlikely since the pump will be after the aljibe. But if you do have a pump, Lexy, make sure it is shut off until the problem is fixed. Otherwise it may burn out for lack of water cooling and lubrication.

Go to Simapa tomorrow

Thank you! That's what I was looking for!

The joke in Zamora is that La Llorona takes the children during the day in Zamora, but at night she goes to Jalisco to take children because Michoacan is too dangerous at night with violence.

We get our hamburger meat from Tony's in SAT. We ask for hamburguesa sin grasa. What they give you is ground sirloin. About $165 p/ kilo.

Many places to shop now. We support them all.

Can you state an example of rudeness that you have personally observed? I frequent The Garage probably more than Pancho's just for particular items that I know they have and are easy to find. It's also faster getting in and out. I have never found the employees to be rude or unhelpful in any way. It's also silly to complain that the Garage doesn't have the same size selection when the store is 5 times smaller. We should be rooting for more specialty shops to open, the more competition the better. If a store can't provide what we need or has bad customer service they won't stay open long. If the GG is expanding they must be doing something right.

RFC explained here: http://www.soniadiaz.mx/real-estate.html As per post above various institutions may assign an RFC but it is not an official RFC.

You support them all-SNORK! I call total BS! pedro kertesz