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On the general "tone" of the thread:  (1)ageism is alive and well and (2) the reverse snobbery shown toward Ajijic is as ridiculous as it always was.

I agree with BMH about the tiangus.  If you want to give yourself the delusion of having a "Mexican" experience by being in a large, jostling crowd of people where the wares are the same as you can buy in the stores, by all means....go.

If the OP  has less than a week to spend here,  I recommend that he find the most convenient location from which to get out and about to see the sights.  Casablanca B&B is another good choice: a quiet street, centrally located, at a reasonable price.  Plenty of good restaurants within walking distance, and of course, there's the nearby Malecon next to the main attraction:  the lake.  If you're there in the early hours before the crowds arrive, the park next to the Malecon has some good adult exercise equipment.  Personally, I'm fond of the swings.😏

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20 hours ago, Mitch210 said:

#bmh  not a party animal myself, but does not bother me......

Mitch, you will need to experience what people are talking about when they speak of Mexican partying and fiestas versus the U.S. version before deciding if it will bother you. Parties here are wonderful, joyful, loud, long, and often. No one quiets or shuts them down. The frequent fiestas go on for nine days. There is another new noise ordinance that supposedly will be dealing with the loudest noise from restaurants and concerts but those of us who have lived here a while have heard this story before and are not holding our breath. 

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The tianguis were nice when the stores would not throw away the rottng veggies they had..When we got here it was awful but now , it is much better so why buy a bunch of things yu can get at any store any day of the week.. 

In Chiapas I go to the market because  indigenous come in every day with fresh crops from their land but here it is all the same thing so no point wasting time and accumulating veggies or fruit.That s one thing I miss when I am here, an indigenous market like the one in Patzcuaro or Oaxaca or San Cristobal. those are so much fun.

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In defense of the Tianguis we find the stuff much fresher than in the stores.  It is great if you can walk to one, not sure I'd drive.

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On the general "tone" of the thread:  (1)ageism is alive and well and (2) the reverse snobbery shown toward Ajijic is as ridiculous as it always was.

Yup.  :D

 

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Ajijic lacks a mercado, but Chapala has an active one, where fresh produce, meats, poultry, and more, are available every morning.  We loved living nearby.

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As per usual no one addresses the fact that not only are there infrastructure issues, but the local Mexicans are being squeezed out of the housing markets. So Mitch, please learn Spanish then explore the rest of Mexico. I lived in Ajijic 5 years, moved to another city in a different part of Mexico with fewer expats and am very happy there. Same general issues but much better management of traffic, roads, jobs, education and so on, ad nauseum. Good luck.

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42 minutes ago, bmh said:

It is the same stuff the stores carry so no great shake of a mercado.

The great shake of the Chapala Mercado is that it's all in one place in el centro plaza and because of that other stores have located around it too. You even have a choice of 4 butchers right in it as well as 2 chicken butchers one of them carries rabbit and quail eggs. 2 fish mongers Tacos,roto chicken,baked goods,desserts,fruit/veggies,flowers and plants birria,menudo and a couple of popular gringo friendly restaurants. 7 days/week.

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I quite like the color, hustle and bustle of the Tiangus.  In Jocotepec I buy freshly picked strawberries and blackberries by the kilo.  In Ajijic I buy a coconut in the shell and sip on it as I wander through the crowd.  You can buy avocado's and limes just off the trees and at least a dozen vendor's selling fruit and vegetables.  You can buy a fish and have it cleaned in front of you.  There is chicken, whole or cut up and shrimp.  Depending on the season you can find bargains, I have bought pineapples for 50 cents each, oranges 10 for a dollar, limes at a dollar a bag.  A lot of the things will have the same price at each vendor but towards end of market day they get cheaper.    In addition they have so much more from clothes to hardware.  It is a Mexican experience.  I even enjoy the beggars who I try to avoid. You can even buy some souvenirs there.

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Whats the availability of organically grown fruits and vegetables?

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Can't say for the stores but you can find many items at the Tiangus and at the Tuesday market at the Sunrise Cafe in San Antonio straight out of the garden and off the trees.  Don't think the Mexican people use much pesticides in their gardens or trees. 

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7 minutes ago, rafterbr said:

I quite like the color, hustle and bustle of the Tiangus.  In Jocotepec I buy freshly picked strawberries and blackberries by the kilo.  In Ajijic I buy a coconut in the shell and sip on it as I wander through the crowd.  You can buy avocado's and limes just off the trees and at least a dozen vendor's selling fruit and vegetables.  You can buy a fish and have it cleaned in front of you.  There is chicken, whole or cut up and shrimp.  Depending on the season you can find bargains, I have bought pineapples for 50 cents each, oranges 10 for a dollar, limes at a dollar a bag.  A lot of the things will have the same price at each vendor but towards end of market day they get cheaper.    In addition they have so much more from clothes to hardware.  It is a Mexican experience.  I even enjoy the beggars who I try to avoid. You can even buy some souvenirs there.

The Monday Chapala tianguis is 4-5 times larger than the Wednesday Ajijic. Some vendors from the Chapala t go to the Ajijic t and increase their prices accordingly. Note the lack of foreigners in this picture from the C T.

chapala tianguis.jpg

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So, one cannot find a good selection of organic fruits and vegetables?  Also, are they using water from the lake to water their veges/fruits?

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Water for the North side of Lake Chapala comes mainly from wells.  Water is not potable.  During rainy season it rains almost every night so no need for watering.  During dry season I am sure some lake water is used.  I don't look for organic items so probably someone else in forum can tell you.

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39 minutes ago, Mitch210 said:

So, one cannot find a good selection of organic fruits and vegetables?  Also, are they using water from the lake to water their veges/fruits?

There is no organic certification by the government (or anyone else). “Organic” is taken on faith and anyone can use the term. Also, some pesticides banned in the U.S. are still used here. 

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1 hour ago, rafterbr said:

Can't say for the stores but you can find many items at the Tiangus and at the Tuesday market at the Sunrise Cafe in San Antonio straight out of the garden and off the trees.  Don't think the Mexican people use much pesticides in their gardens or trees. 

Unfortunately, you're wrong. Mexicans use tons of pesticides. There's little education here about the dangers- they spray malathion around like it's water, using no gloves, no masks, etc.

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I agree with Xena and mudgirl. One should ALWAYS soak veggies and fruit in Microdyn solution (or?) unless you are going to peel them or cook them. The exception (for me) is to buy hydroponic "organically" grown Mr. Lucky lettuce in WallyWorld which states that it's ready to eat. I particularly like the butter lettuce since it still has roots. I use it from the outside in and run the root ball under purified water before I put it back in the fridge. Keeps it green and crisp.

On Tuesdays, there is an "organic" market in West Ajijic at the La Huerta Event Centre with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables and meats and ready made meals. It's very crowded in high season and opens at 10 am to a lineup. Closes at 2 pm

At best, I would say that true licensed organic growers do not exist here. Hell, you still have to wash the feathers and poop from some brands of eggs before using them... and don't expect the eggs to be a uniform size within the same dozen either.

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“On Tuesdays, there is an "organic" market in West Ajijic at the La Huerta Event Centre with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables and meats and ready made meals. It's very crowded in high season and opens at 10 am to a lineup. Closes at 2 pm.”

Last I had heard they no longer call it the Organic Market but just the Tuesday Market because they had no way of knowing for sure about the organic label. Maybe someone who knows more about it can comment. That has not affected its popularity. It begins with a lineup that becomes a stampede when it actually opens. Although, technically, it is open until 2 I have been told you need to be there before noon for a good selection. For especially popular items you must be there at 10, hence the stampede upon opening. 

 

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Thanks, Xena, Mudgirl and Ferret for the info on the vegetables.  These are things I did not know.  Many times someone will say stick to the thread but you often learn many things when the thread goes astray.

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7 hours ago, bmh said:

The tianguis were nice when the stores would not throw away the rottng veggies they had..When we got here it was awful but now , it is much better so why buy a bunch of things yu can get at any store any day of the week.. 

 

Couldn´t agree more!

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