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Comments about other communities around Lake Chapala?


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On 10/18/2018 at 12:06 AM, Susy Wilson said:

My husband and I are considering the Lake Chapala area for our retirement, as so many are it seems, but we are more interested in smaller communities around the lake and wondered if anyone has any information to share on any of the villages on the southern or eastern areas of the lake? We live in a very rural area here in WA state and it would be a big adjustment to move into a town of any size.  My drive currently to get a gallon of milk is at least 30 miles each way and I am fine with that. Would be interested in anything anyone would be willing to share:-) 

Immediately east of Chapala (Santa Cruz to Tlachichilco) are a few pueblos where a few American/Canadians live though some with  slow internet service.  The small villages east of Mezcala have rarely seen American/Canadians and are not well-disposed to have them in their pueblos, even as merely visitors.  Some simply do not allow non-Mexicans to live there (including Mezcala).  Local ejido/communidad law rules here, i.e., no police force.  The large towns in that area, Poncitlan and Ocotlan, would be fine.

The villages on the south side of the lake are better disposed to expats, they have had expat visitors for some time now, though few expats live there, mostly in the little subdivision Puerto Corona near San Luis Soyatlan.  

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As I understand it you are looking for a plot of land where you can live and later build other houses for your children.  Chapala Haciendas is a development with houses and lots it is not for you.  I have a farm/ranch in Oklahoma and love the country life.  Unless you have a lot of money to spend on land on the north side than the south side is for you.  You can buy land very reasonable there and get a great view of the lake.  If you have a family emergency the road is very good from there to Guadalajara.  I was in San Luis Soyatlan today and wish I had bought there instead of on the North side.  If you are learning a little Spanish the people are friendly and you won't have a problem.  Some of the people here on the North side think they are better than the Mexican's and this is causing a few problems.   Would like to meet you but unfortunately we are going back to Oklahoma for the winter.  The cows are a calling. 

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Jocotopec municipality would be a good place to start. It covers west and some south side of the lake. Jocotopec the village has good shopping and restaurants and medical care. Lots of small villages. Lots of rural areas with homes on small acreages - many of whom have Internet.

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Does anyone know someone in Mezala who spoke their language?  Heard no one speak an indigenous language there. My experience ewth indigenous is that they accept you as long as you follow their ways and their customs if not you have no business being there. Not all indigenous speak poor Spanish, there many indigenos villages where the originllanguage is lost but people continue following the old customs and laws.

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On 10/19/2018 at 7:22 AM, oregontochapala said:

Actually, there is only ONE Chapala Haciendas with 3-numbered entrances. I live close to the #2 entrance, not in Chapala Haciendas Dos. We're all one. Only the condos closest to the #1 entrance have different 'rules' and dues.

I stand corrected.  Sorry!

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Mezcala is primarily an indigenous village that has lost, for the most part, its ability to speak en los dialectos or in their local variety of Nahuatl that was spoken in the Chapala area.  Some of the older abuelitos or older folk still retain some words and expressions but almost nobody in Mezcala can speak Nahuatl fluently, now a days.  I haven't studied the correctness of their Spanish, but everybody that I ask in Chapala tell me that they speak Spanish with a strong indigeneous accent and they talk quite different from regular Mexicans and that they are very suspicious of foreigners and normal Mexicans a like. They are very insular and prefer to be around their own people.  In Chapala they have an insult when you look super indigenous they say you have a cara de Mezcala, or a Mezcala face.  I'm not quite sure what it means but I feel like it means that los mestizos y güeros of Chapala feel like they are not the same make as the people of Mezcala.  I guess it is like Le Paris et la province.

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Mezcala inhabitants have the reputatons of being fierce and not friendly.. I have not found that true, I broke down past Mezcala on a dirt road and everyone came to help me. People were friendly but then I was not there to invade them or take their land..The mestizos around here have several insulting words to speak about indigenous including those of Oaxaca, I went after sevveral of them about it and they apologized and thought they were funny..

This sad I would not recommend to people to movingthere as they would be fish out of water unless they were into anthropology.

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Hola.Just want to say that we moved to Lake Chapala in 2008.Spent the first year in Joctepec then found a rental in Puragua on the southside,lived there for about 6 years then  moved to Bucerias north of Puerto Vallarta.When the heat and umidity would not end till December we decided to move back to the southside of lake Chapala.We are both originally from the west side of Washington state and I also had 20 acres up in the hills of Okanagan so know the columbia gorge well.I think you might be like us and not want the crowded and lousy traffic of the northside of the lake.We like our wide open space.My wife will go once a month over to the northside to shop on early Sunday morning to get a few things we cant get over here.There is a great bus service via SUR if we need to get to Guadalajara,which is only if we have to.If you are in the bigger towns over her you can get Infintium internet from Telmex and phone.My wife has Telcel for her phone and also gets internet with no problem.We find it cost prohibitive.We have WIfi antenae on the roof and pick up one place to get free internet,but is kind of ify.My wife has DISH TV and found out they offer satelite internet so she will check out the price Monday as to cost for unlimited.Being from the gorge area sure you can handle cold winters.We have a firplace and 2 propane heaters.We go up to Mazamitla to buy our pine firewood.Mazamitla will remind you of Leavenworth.Only about half an hour from us.All kinds of places to go fishing for us also.PMme and will you give you contact info for us.Viva Mexico plus a lot of dairy farms locally here to get fresh milk.We have are own hens ,so plenty of eggs

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On 10/28/2018 at 2:39 PM, feewee said:

Hi Susy

I thought you would like to know there is a Cdn woman and her husband who retired to the south side of Lago Chapala and they seem to be loving it ....here is the link to her blog

https://casalunademiel.wordpress.com/site-information/

Thank you so very much:-)

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On 10/28/2018 at 4:08 PM, La Aurora said:

Hola.Just want to say that we moved to Lake Chapala in 2008.Spent the first year in Joctepec then found a rental in Puragua on the southside,lived there for about 6 years then  moved to Bucerias north of Puerto Vallarta.When the heat and umidity would not end till December we decided to move back to the southside of lake Chapala.We are both originally from the west side of Washington state and I also had 20 acres up in the hills of Okanagan so know the columbia gorge well.I think you might be like us and not want the crowded and lousy traffic of the northside of the lake.We like our wide open space.My wife will go once a month over to the northside to shop on early Sunday morning to get a few things we cant get over here.There is a great bus service via SUR if we need to get to Guadalajara,which is only if we have to.If you are in the bigger towns over her you can get Infintium internet from Telmex and phone.My wife has Telcel for her phone and also gets internet with no problem.We find it cost prohibitive.We have WIfi antenae on the roof and pick up one place to get free internet,but is kind of ify.My wife has DISH TV and found out they offer satelite internet so she will check out the price Monday as to cost for unlimited.Being from the gorge area sure you can handle cold winters.We have a firplace and 2 propane heaters.We go up to Mazamitla to buy our pine firewood.Mazamitla will remind you of Leavenworth.Only about half an hour from us.All kinds of places to go fishing for us also.PMme and will you give you contact info for us.Viva Mexico plus a lot of dairy farms locally here to get fresh milk.We have are own hens ,so plenty of eggs

Pine logs are one of the worst timber for log fires.....

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