Focus on Mexico Blog

 By Tere Ruiz and Gerry Krause

Living in Lake Chapala can mean a new beginning in life, but, what does this mean? A new beginning, aren’t people just continuing their lives, after retirement?

The reason why many people who retire talk about new beginnings is because after living a life of working for money, paying the mortgage, having a car, and accomplishing all the material standards of society, people discover that nobody knows who in the beginning said that they had to do all these things, and, well, after living the fast life for many years, now comes the opportunity to retire, which means, stop working and… then what?

“Well, nothing, I am retired,” answer some. And others answer, “What do you mean?” …well, I mean a new beginning in life!

 

By Kristina Morgan

The three mountain ranges separating Lake Chapala from Guadalajara and the lake with its cool breezes makes this a paradise for those of us who live here in 74 degree average temps year ‘round. National Geographic rated it as the second best climate in the WORLD, after Nairobi, Kenya.

If you’ve read anything at all about the Lake Chapala area, word about the micro-climate has surely popped up more than once. Guadalajara calls itself the ‘Land of Eternal Spring.’ That’s pretty darn good, right? What could be better than that?!

Lake Chapala’s micro-climate.

I lived in a town just over the mountain from Chapala for a number of years and at first I was a skeptic about there being a big difference in the weather until I realized that during the winter there was frost on our windshield in the winter and no one from west of Ajijic to Riberas del Pilar outside of Chapala had that problem! I dressed in layers in the winter, too and would peel off my sweater in the car as I came over the mountain and rounded the bend to Lake Chapala.

It is also cooler in the warmer months.

I was once a skeptic but I’ve been cured. Raised in Texas and having spent 10 years in Colorado before moving to Mexico, I know what hot and humid is and I know what cold is. After being spoiled here I can’t imagine living in either place again.

We just moved to Chapala, and though it technically isn’t in the micro-climate we were able to tell a big difference immediately. I can’t imagine how much better it would be if I lived within what is technically considered the micro-climate.

What a unique and interesting place we live in! Viva Lake Chapala!

Okay…I have a beef when people say there’s nothing to do in Lake Chapala during the low season, April-September. I just want to say, “what planet on you on?” No, there’s no Little Theater and the concerts could be few and far between, but none of us have to sit around if we don’t want to.

I was recently trying to get in contact with Marianne O’Halloran about the Quilting Guild. I finally found out why she was so hard to get in touch with when she emailed me back, “The guild is somewhat active – totally new people running it. I go to some meetings; they have downsized but do have some new members this summer. I’m still quilting like crazy but also doing stained glass, cooking for CASA [Culinary Art Society of Ajijic, a group that's been tickling our taste buds since 1986], joined ASA [Ajijic Society of the Arts] and am a Cruz Roja volunteer (Mexico’s Red Cross], etc., etc. It’s been a little crazy this summer. And I went to Saudi for two weeks last March and had a great time. Quilt Festival in Houston comes up in two months in October.”