Headed South: May 2016

Isn't It Strange How Things Work Out?

If someone had asked me when I was thirty: "So, think you'll be living in Mexico when you retire?" I would have just considered them deranged. Well, here we are. For four years as of April, 2016. Like so much in life, I'm not really sure exactly how this happened. We didn't want winter, but we didn't want to sweat nine months of the year, but we wanted this, but we didn't want that and -- next thing you know-- here we are in Ajijic Mexico. It has been a strange and wonderful journey and I must say that I feel that our retirement has been (thus far) jammed packed with new experiences, new friends and new ways of looking at things. Of course, we're all just one broken hip away from disaster but that's the truth regardless of where we live or how we live.

And the blog. .. The idea was we would do a blog for a little while so that our family and friends back in the States would know that we hadn't been kidnapped by cartels or eaten by wild dogs. But then it developed a life of its own and local friends and Mexican friends and ex-nannies and, well, a whole lot of people started reading it and we discovered that we actually enjoyed doing it. So, this blog will be short and sweet (or sweetish). We'll be heading off on another trip to Hungary, Czech Republic, Germany and France -- with brief forays to Switzerland and Liechtenstein at the end of the month.

The Accumulated Knowledge of Four Years of Living in Mexico

1) Freedom beats security -- Learned from street dogs
2) All time constraints are self-imposed. Except death-- and maybe that too.
3) Politics is disgusting everywhere
4) Losing your temper is a sign of weakness
5) Turn on the lights before you walk to the bathroom (scorpions -- but not many-- but you only need one)
6) Street food is delicious and only occasionally makes you sick
7) Virtually all colors "go together" if you are brave enough
8) There are at least three explanations for everything
9) Old friends are irreplaceable
10) New friends are irreplaceable-- we are all in it together
11) There is also nothing like family (well, actually we knew that but Mexicans takes it to new heights)
12) Do not believe people who give you directions -- in fact, don't even ask
14) Buy your sofas and easy chairs in the States. Mexicans must have different spines.
15) Living in a place where it basically only rains at night for 5 months of the year (no rain or just a bit other times) is super duper great -- unless it gets out of hand
16) If you can understand 60% of the Mexican newscast you are probably doing OK - 70% will just freak you out.
17) For a Catholic, conservative country there is a lot of very hip, counter-whatever occurring here.
18) Obviously (well NOW) everything starts 1-4 hours after the announced time
19) There really IS the phenomenon called Border Promotion (for NOB friends this is when people move here and go from being a TSA agent to Head of Homeland Security)
20) People love it here or people hate it here -- little exists in the middle.

Until Next Time

We just sprinkled some of our favorite photos in here while keeping it brief. Just wanted to get something out before we "disappear" for about six weeks. Hope you are all having fun heading into summer and let us know what you are up to --OK?

Some Random Photos from Recent Happenings

The Last Behind the Walls House Tour of the Season

We'd been to this house before. It was the first bakery in Ajijic and a lot of the kitchen is original

Oh, wouldn't Trump have a hissy about this. Now he had to build the wall AND keep out the Muslims. Pesky Mexico

OK. This comes close to the monstrous 8 person hot tub we had in our first house's master bath. But the house had good views.

This house is on my favorite street in the Village.

Not quite sure about these.....

A Visit to Tepua --- One of the Poorest Barrios in Jalisco

This area is the poorest in Jalisco. This Community Center has been started by Gringos but the goal (which is being attained) is for the local community to make it self sustaining.

This is the dental clinic at Tepua. A gringo dentist was consulting but the work was being done by Mexican dental students.

They cleverly painted these chairs for the children to sit and eat their meals.

The computer room (always supervised) where the kids can do homework or play (let's hope educational) games.

This sewing room is totally self sustaining. The profit is split between the workers and reinvesting in the business.

The threads. To give you an idea how poor this area is, the houses are often tin and cardboard with no electricity or plumbing. The Center works to locate or have created the birth certificates of kids (often born at home) because without that they can not attend school.

A bizarre bazar sign which was hung upside down.

Local art on the center

A Kayak Tour of the Bird Sanctuary during Nesting Season for the Egrets

The neotropic cormorants were the first to build nests, lay their eggs and raise their young. The egrets then took advantage of the empty, all ready built nests to lay their eggs and raise their young.

Parents keeping a watchful eye.

With good reason --- I have spotted more snakes in the lake this year than ever before. This one has a fish in its mouth. (That is DISGUSTING! Phobia #5 - Deirdre)