Focus On Mexico - Your Guide to Moving and Retiring to Mexico's Lake Chapala

If You Can’t Beat ‘Em, Join ‘Em

or Love it or Leave It - when it comes to the Fiestas Patronales Every town in Mexico has a nine-day annual fiesta honoring their patron saint. The festivals are religious, pagan and secular all at once here in Mexico where contradictions live happily side by side! Whether you will want to join in the fun or head for the hills (or in this case beach) will largely depend on how much you like to party, the proximity of your home to the town square, and your level of noise tolerance. The Guilds Ajijic's patron saint festival honoring San Andres (Saint Andrew) is held every year from … [Read more...]

Watch Those Pesos…

They Spend Like Real Money! While Mexican money may look like Monopoly money at first glance, it spends just like real money, so it's good idea to get familiar with the Mexican peso before you arrive. If you're not used to dealing in more than one currency, it can feel daunting at first to convert from your home currency to pesos quickly and confidently. It's common to see flustered people thrust a handful of cash and coins at cashiers in Mexico so that vendors could pick out the appropriate amount from their hands. That's NOT the recommended way of doing things, even though there are many … [Read more...]

What’s on the South Side of Lake Chapala?

Mexico is full of treasures and lakeside is all around Lake Chapala, which the indigenous used to call the sea of Chapala due to its size. The north side of the lake that we commonly call Lakeside from east to west consists basically of the towns of Chapala, Ajijic, San Juan Cosala, and Jocotepec. On the south side of lake you'll find from west to east the towns of San Luis Soyotlan, Tuxcueca, Tizapan, Sahuayo and Petatan (where the pelicans come to winter), Sahuayo and Jilquipan. I've been curious about the 'other' side of the lake ever since arriving in Ajijic almost two years ago. A … [Read more...]

Giving Back Lakeside

Congratulations - the decision is made and you are heading south of the border! When you arrive Lakeside it's a good idea to take several months to acclimate and manage all the business involved with starting a new life in a new country, but once you're feeling settled you may want to find a way to give back to the community that is hosting us. From the first expats who came to the area, Lakeside has a long history of volunteerism and today there are many established charities that could use your help and, if there is something you would like to do that's not currently available, you may … [Read more...]

Dia de Los Muertos – The Intersection Between Life and Death

Death in Mexico One of the many reasons I decided to retire in Mexico is related to the Mexican attitude towards death. Mexicans embrace death in a way that is healthy and joyful and that spills over onto the expats living here. Not long ago I heard about a local expat with cancer who was given weeks to live. His response was to host a party and bring in the mariachis! When a local passes away, there is a funeral procession that often includes bands, mariachis and rockets. People mourn deeply for their loved ones but there is a general acceptance that death is part of life. The elderly are … [Read more...]