AJIJIC CHAPALA MEXICO-worth the hype?
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- Опубліковано 21 лип 2024
- Ajijic on Lake Chapala Mexico is a popular expat destination. Is it worth the hype? Is this place the expat paradise as advertised or is it over rated?
Chapters:
0:00 - Intro
0:19 Weather and climate
2:34 Lake Chapala current condition
4:33 Ajijic/Lake Chapala the current reality
5:38 People, friendly or not?
7:27 Food/eating
10:16 Roads/cobblestones
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I am 49 years young living in Ajijic and my husband and I love it here! In general the expats and Mexicans are very friendly. There are so many great, reasonably priced restaurants, theatre, live music, festivals etc. and we are only one hour from Guadalajara! Also if you research the weather, we are coming out of El niño and moving into La Niña which should bring us a lot of rain and bring the lake levels back up. I think these two did not have a good experience because they are negative, not friendly AND they can't even pronounce Ajijic correctly after two months here!
Hi Jill,
We are 48 and 50 also.
Yes, there are all those things available in Aijijic, but most just happen to be not our preferred activities. They are fine and we tried to get involved, as we usually do in an area. We attended a few churches, ate at several restaurants and met countless locals at events (expats and Mexicans) and the feel was not always friendly, especially from Expats... and compared to numerous other places in Mexico that we've lived (Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca; Oaxaca City, Cancun; Los Barriles, Baja Sur; la Ventana, Baja Sur; La Paz, Baja Sur; Puerto Vallarta; Nuevo Vallarta; Lo de Marcos, Jalisco;
San Jose del Pacifico, Oaxaca; etc)
But all in all we are glad we experienced the area, the climate and saw for ourselves. We were simply just sharing our experience.
Good to visit, not great of healthy for us for long term.
Getting hung up on someone else's pronunciation of a Mexican name seems a tad petty to us so thanks for pointing that out, those are the things we expected from a long term expat in the area.
Glad to hear you enjoy yourself and the friends you've made, that's the best and we're glad to hear it.
Thanks for watching!
Im surprised after 2 months you can’t pronounce Ajijic. Thanks for the video -good info.
Oh that's just because you don't know me well enough. Once you did you would expect that I screw up way more things than just that.
Thanks for watching and commenting.
Not true, that pronunciation is quite correct! Taught and told by an educated native, often, the last letter becomes silent. As in Ajijic and Pepe Guizar not pronouncing the c nor the r.
@@carolestern245 it's interesting what some get caught up on. The topic and message are what this video is about, and some people miss the whole point and/or don't care to discuss what the topic is all about. All good. We'll say it the 2 ways were heard it and try to extend grace to the rest of us who mess it up!
....It's like trying your best to speak Spanish to a native Spanish speaker. It's so fun, hey? when they jump right on you for a mispronouncement!? lol ;)
Thanks for sticking up for us!
@@PlanFree Being an authority makes one feel important thus creating plenty of heated arguments around here. Frankly, it gets pretty testy, feisty and can cause blood to boil. Best not to get embroiled into controversy.. or your name will become mud. There is always someone who knows better than you, quick to pounce, or resent you as an intruder for daring to be frank and saying as it really is. Plenty of truth to your observations.
@@carolestern245 Indeed, and our observations are our own. We don't speak for anyone else. We definitely speak from our OWN experience, having lived there and moved around and gotten out and about quite a lot. We were eager to see, hear, feel, taste the area for ourselves. And we did. And were a bit surprised. We actually thought we'd en up making a video about how we enjoyed everything about the area, food, people, blah blah blah. hehe
Well, turns our we enjoyed some, not all. And the "not alls" were not really found online or in other videos when we researched the area beforehand. We felt we should provide our experience and a well rounded/balaced view of the area for others who wouldn't be able to find that info online.
Our experience doesn't change just because others disagree, it just is what it is. Their blood can boil if they choose.....haha that is not our intent with the video info. It was just to be real and share in a kind way some of the things we didn't know about before we lived there and what we were not able to find online beforehand.
Thanks for the support and comments. We value the dialogue. Ayr & Lori
One thing you didn’t mention is that you were living in a neighborhood that is quite far from Ajijic. You would need transportation where you lived. It’s not walking distance to really anything. Had you stayed anywhere in between from Ajijic to Chapala you most likely would of had a difference experience.
Walking, Hiking, biking, golf, pickleball, tennis, frisbee golf, swimming, bass fishing all available.
Spanish classes, volunteering opportunities, clubs, theatre, festivals, markets, live music, countless restaurants with international flare.
Guadalajara and surrounding areas to explore.
Personally, we find our own fun. I see people of all ages here, because I look beyond “the expats”. Once you truly immerse yourself with the culture and the people, you will find the best experiences and won’t feel the need to be “entertained”
Tracey! 🥰
We think your comment is one of if not the best one so far. You have a fresh perspective and a positive attitude and outlook on people and your area which we hope you can maintain and continue into your later years if you are permanent in the area.
Don't lose that bright, beautiful outlook because there are many good things and great people in the area. We encounter them as well. And we wished we would have met you! 😉
Good for you for highlighting all the various activities festivals markets and things that are available in the area.
We knew about most of those but to be honest those are not our cup of tea generally for once you've seen one market you've kind of seen them all... that kind of thing...
But we get it. An area CAN indeed be what you make of it.
For some. ☺️
So glad you watched our video and we're really glad you took time to comment and share more things about the area for people.
Thank you! And welcome to our channel.
Ayr & Lori
You gave good advice about this community. I agree with your observations. I wrote about my experience living here for close to 20 years. In my experience with people moving here, this area is a good, soft place to land for people living outside of their country for the first time. There is a lot of infrastructure set up which will help newcomers. We are 45 minutes to an hour away from the third biggest city in Mexico which has anything that I have ever needed. If your English or Spanish is good, you can get anything you need here. It is more expensive than it has been but so is everywhere else. Also getting a permanente or temporal is more and more expensive. I was lucky to be grandfathered in because I have been working in Mexico for 23 years. For someone who does not speak Spanish and has not travelled much, I think this area is a good place to land. When my family visit who do not speak any Spanish, they can get around the whole lakeside area without much trouble and they take buses or walk. We have no car. Also, if you need to work while in Mexico, we are close to GDL. I commuted for about 18 years before I became 100% online. If you find that it is not right for you, you can take what you have learned and move elsewhere in Mexico or another country. Culturally, there is a lot to do because we are so close to Guadalajara, for example, there has been a symphony in GDL for 200 years. There are lots of galleries, museums, dance, and concerts in Guadalajara. Right at Lakeside, we have several places such as the Train Station/Riberas Auditorium/Ajijic Gallery/Jocotepec City Hall for concerts, dance and performance plus several English language theatre options. The government puts on outdoor shows for the community on special occations. Furthermore, the climate is okay most of the year for me. Personally, I don't like heat so living in a beach area is not for me but others love it. I know we are in a heatwave and, sometimes in winter, it can get cold. Overall, the weather is fine. There is a facebook group called Inexpensive Living in Mexico (facebook.com/groups/inexpensivelivinginmexico) that has lots of tips for living cheaper if that is what you need to do. I know rent and real estate prices are expensive now. But if you are willing to be away from the "hot/super popular" areas, you can get lower rent. I love living here. I chose to live in Chapala because I liked the wide open streets. I found Ajijic a little claustrophobic for me and I needed good daily transportation to Guadalajara and, when I bought my house 18 years ago, Chapala was the best choice. Right now, all the main lakeside towns (Chapala, Ajijic and Jocotepec) have direct bus service to Guadalajara which is wonderful. There are many private drivers if you want to use them instead of a bus if you choose to live without a car. As of now, there is no regular Uber service here at Lakeside unless you happen to get a car that has driven someone from Guadjalajara or the airport to here and the car is now at Lakeside. Food is a big concern for some people. Ajijic is probably the town with the most array of varied food choices but each area has some nice restaurants. You can find several vegan restaurants too. You can find food from around the world here and, in the last few years, the main grocery stores (Soriana and Walmart plus some others) are offering all kinds of choices of products for an international palate. For myself, I don't eat out much except the taco stand a block from my house so eating out doesn't cost me alot and the food is delicious. As a final point, many people do not think about health care when they are considering living here. Getting private insurance is expensive which can be prohibitive for some/many people. If you are over 75 or so, it can be nearly impossible to get health insurance at any cost other than something like SkyMed so you need to have money set aside and readily available if you need healthcare. Americans can get healthcare through Medicare here at Lakeside but I am Canadian so I have not paid much attention to the details of that option. So, my conclusion would be that Ajijic and the lakeside area is very well known now and thus might be overrated because it can be presented in a picture that better represents what lakeside was versus what it is now, however, it is still an excellent choice for many people. I don't really think anywhere is a paradise unless you never take off those rose-coloured glasses.
Elizabeth, what a wonderful read! You are very well spoken, well written and we enjoyed reading your comment on our video in its entirety. Thank you!
You have a great perspective as to what kind of changes have happened in the area over time and we love that you point out the cultural experiences in Guadalajara as well as the rising costs in the area and everywhere. We think the biggest takeaway point is for what you say about ewbies to Mexico: that Lake Chapala area would be a good place to land and start out (if they could afford it!!) just as long as they're aware of the traffic congestion, the low lake level, the fertilizers being sprayed extensively and the cobblestone streets (major deterrents for us). You depicted all aspects of the area well and we again thank you so much for contributing to the comment section of our video!
Welcome to our channel,
Ayr & Lori
Being that over 70 person that was with you, I totally agree with the comments about the cobblestones and walking challenges. The malecon areas of the various towns in the area were all quite impressive, and good for walking, but the negative of those areas was the low water leading to low appeal that you already referred to. There was also the walking/biking trail along the main road skirting the lake, but then you have the significant road noise to contend with! One additional point that you didn't mention was the high level of pollen in the area in the spring which affected all of us.
Very good points!
Yes....super tough to cover them all at risk of boring the viewer, haha!
The pollen and dryness was definitely a factor for us all...sneezing every day and needing to take allergy pills in February and March.
Great point also about the bike path being both a benefit and having a drawback.
Thank you so much for contributing your retiree perspective dad!
☺️
Nice video. I agree with you on most of your points of view about Chapala/Ajijic. We have always found Mexican to be friendly. I'm impressed by your ability to hold your camera strait while walking. The cobblestones are a twisted ankle waiting to happen. -Marc
@TheTwoTravelersInMexico
Thank you for saying you liked our vid Marc, we appreciate it. Sharing our view can some times get people talking.....haha but it was our experience and we thought there might be others out there that didn't know about some of the things. Just wanted to share.
The camera we used for filming this is a GoPro7, so there is a built in stabilizer that makes us look smoooooother than we probably are! 😉
Cobblestones....SO pretty to LOOK at...but really not great for driving or walking. And we are still well able to negociate them, but didn't WANT to! And for our poor aging family that was with us....well who's kidding who!? We ALL had a tough time.
We unfortunately couldn't imagine living longer term in a place that has those kind of streets for the majority. ...as charming looking as they are...
Thank you for watching! Hope we can deliver some more great info to you over time. Safe travels!
Ayr & Lori
Thank you. It's one of the most honest evals of the area I've seen. Usually it's all about paradise.
We've been here 27 years and the weather, cost of living compared to other areas in Mexico, and the friendliness, has changed drastically, not for the better. There is good health care here if you know where to go and where to avoid but it's overpriced...best is in Guadalajara. Used to be an adventure to live here, but that train left a long time ago. It's boring now. Why do we stay? Mostly inertia. And we get into the city regularly and elsewhere to break the monotony.
Thanks for sharing! Honesty is a virtue that has been lost by most. 😊 Aloha from Maui 🤙😎
Penny,
Gosh you are quite an awesome writer. We enjoyed very much reading your comments and quite like the way you put things about "used to be an adventurer, that train left long ago, why do you stay, inertia...".
You sound like a really interesting lady. Very rational and real.
Thank you so much for watching and we really appreciate you writing your two cents here.
We hope you find another train to ride one day that brings you the right amount of adventure!
And, we invite you to stay tuned perhaps we discover an area that has all the things a person's looking for and we can bring it to your attention through our channel. 🥰
Welcome!
Ayr & Lori
Our pleasure @mauimixer6040!
We thank you so much for watching and hope we can continue to bring you a good content on areas for your travel information.
👍
Thanks for a different perspective on Ajijic area, i've been watching a lot of Vid's on the area and most of them were the " Peaches and cream" type. Glad to know the underside of the area as im of the 70-111 that you spoke of.
Yes thank you so much for hearing where we were coming from.
There were certain things that we did enjoy but there were some other things that we were surprised about and did not know before we went. All the information we read and saw in videos was also peaches and cream type so SOMEONE had to be honest! Lol
Welcome to the channel!
Ayr & Lori
I live in Guadalajara, near Ajijic Chapala. Ajijic is known for being a place for retired Americans, unfortunately Chapala’s lake is not like the lakes in the US, this lake is polluted
It was such a shocker to learn more about the lake once we were actually there and on the ground. Quite sad. 🙁 They want max production from the berries fields in the area....we get that, but the spraying of pesticides and fertililzers HAS to ba taking it's toll also....
Thank you so much for finding us on Facebook. watching and commenting here also we really appreciate that! Ayr & Lori
We stayed in Jocotepec at Roca Azul last year during March/April/May (we're living in our RV) and we were not impressed. it was hot and the smoke got really bad. Traffic was terrible if we wanted to go into Ajijic and there were limited transportation options to and from where we were to the store in Jocotepec.
AND the power (and water) went out 2 or more times a week. We were told that the infrastructure in the whole Chapala area is challenged, thus the outages, due to the fact that infrastructure has not kept up with the growth.
We are not too interested in ex-pat areas anyway but we left Joco early and headed to Patzcuaro for the rest of the summer. We liked it much better there. Cooler weather, more transportation options, less expensive and the RV park we stayed at was just a block from the main road.
Currently we are in Santa Maria del Tule, Oaxaca. It gets hot here at the end of the dry season but not as many smoke issues as Joco and we are walking distance from more simple options, a bus or taxi ride from stockups at supermarkets.
Great synopsis of the area: hot and smoky, expensive with no infrastructure and transportation....we get it. We were surprised also.
Sorry to hear it all, but that's what traveling around and checking out places is all about right!? ...finding out if an area is for you or not.
Good for you for moving on to Oaxaca. What a grear state! We also lived for a time just on the outskirts of Oaxaca City in the direction of Santa Maria and loved it. We loved the access to products and services and the buses/taxis ran to our area all the time. We had a good quality of life there with great stores, markets, restaurants and climate. If we ever chose to stay near Oaxaca City longer term we would just simply buy a car. (As a tourist you're not able to buy a car but if you do have your temporary or permanent residency your gold in terms of buying a car! (our next video coming out sometime soon will be all about how to do that in Mx).)
Yay for you guys!
Happy travels and hope we can continue to bring you great travel information and help.
Welcome to our channel,
Ayr & Lori
Thanks for sharing your experience. 😊
After visiting Ajijic over the past 5 years we decided to move here 4/1/2024 so we are here right now by choice. Many things that you share I agree with. Much of Ajijic is Gringo priced. Some of it is worth it. Some of it you travel 15 minutes in either direction and it’s local and better. It is on a mountainside. Moving vertically can be a challenge. You are 100% correct that the cobblestones can be a b!tch. There is a saying here; don’t look up or you will fall down. In the Village traffic (esp. the buses) require patience. Traffic on the Caraterra can be a PITA for 10 minutes. Like most places in Mexico and Latin America (worldwide) you make a choice of experience. We have a number of friends here and so far are very happy with our decision. Might not be forever but it is good for now. Like any place, you find your spots, you find the rhythm and you find your people. The one thing that I 100% disagree with is the friendliness of the community. Other than the random person at the bus stop that doesn’t want to say hola! I have not encountered any inhospitable person even in situations where my limited Spanish failed (often). No doubt if you are looking to party, nightlife this is not the place. Safe travels.
Well hays,
We just want to tell you that you were so well spoken and well-rounded in your views we agree with completely everything you said. You said it all so well.
We probably just happened to bump into all of the crankiest expats while we were there...haha
Just kidding. Sort of. We did attend several church services (and other activities) and met some lovely people so we're not saying that across the board but it was a general feel that we got.
We too thought we would be enthralled with being on a mountainside, above a beautiful pristine lake, 1 hour from Guadalajara in the perfect climate... and so to each his own.
We are so glad that you're going to enjoy it for now and we wish you an absolutely blessed and beautiful time with the people you've met in your new Mexican home.
Thank you so much for watching and sharing your perspective after having recently moved there.
We love it!
Thanks for sharing your story and truth. Has been a great help. 😊
You are so welcome, glad it was helpful! Thank you for commenting, it was great to hear from you. Are you considering the area? Already stay there?
@@PlanFree well... I was.. before you (and Penny in comments) shared a different seemingly honest perspective, and actually outside of a day trip to Tijuana in 77, I haven't been to Mexico. But I have been seriously considering moving, retiring, somewhere less expensive and way mainly looking at Asia, specifically Thailand where I've spent a year in 09, and visited last in 17.
So many serious changes coming to the US and western world that I'm feeling too old to deal with ! 😎. I'm just not too fond of too hot and humid, which is what appealed to me about the lake area. Local friendliness is a must.
It's hard finding those willing to talk about the negatives of places, so thanks again for sharing.
@@PlanFree also thanks for sharing about the condition of the lakes condition.
Yes, I've mainly listened to the Fluff😅 channels.
I could’nt agree more. I lived there for 2 years and the boredom was stifling . The expats weren’t friendly at all, the restaurants sucked and none stayed open past 8. I’m not young but I’m not dead yet. I call it God’s Waiting Room. I’ll never set foot in Ajijic again.
Wow, super sorry to hear you had such a negative experience. Sounds, perhaps, even worse than our experience. We found a few things that were nice, but you really were turned right off.
I mean yes....there is quite a large older vibe....but we do hear that there is a growing group of younger people that are coming up. I think the group that is "missing" is the 40-60 year old's, that's what we found.
Anyways, we "hear" you and we truly hope you have landed in a much more suitable location for your tastes.
We are so glad you found us and we hope our channel can deliver more info for you and your travels. Welcome!
Ayr & Lori
I really like your video. I wish she had danced a bit more; that was a charming bit, and I wish you had shown a bit more of the lake when you got to the top of the hill. I have been considering a move there and this was very helpful.
Thank you SO much (Lori here)!
😉
Yeah...I get goofy some times. It was the heat! Haha. Or I felt like celebrating us reaching the top of that giant hill we climbed!
Either way, I did let loose. And it felt right. 😎
Yes, I wish we had had footage of the lake to show also! We HAD been down right to the lakeside a couple of times and I wish we would have taken some footage right up close as well as from the top those big hills for a distance view. Oh well. Guess we didn't think of it.
The distant views of the lake look very nice and we're probably the best views of the lake while it's this low but the views from up close are not as pretty, ok but not great...it was shocking to us how low (and stinky, sorry!) the lake has become at this point due to the dry years the area has has to endure. 🙏
We hope rain comes!
Thank you so much for your cute and positive comment. We really appreciate you watching and adding your thoughts and feedback for us here.
Welcome to our channel!
Lori (& Ayr)
Great commentary. Refreshing. Thanks.I will keep following you.I am 81 and all the hype was appealing. I see a caution sign.Grace
Thank you for watching and for your feedback. Are you considering the area yourself?
We had the same conclusion as you two after spending 2 weeks in Ajijic two years ago. With all the places you've been to I would love to see a video of the top 3 places you would consider living in Mexico, or at least winter there.
Well that's very interesting. Too bad you don't have a video up on your UA-cam channel (😉) covering your experiences in Ajijic.... would have saved US time perhaps! Haha
All good. We are happy we went to see for ourselves, without having invested too much time.
Well @bertlouis6082 we also would like that video as we are still in the hunt!
(Guatemala ranked decent for us, less touristy and better priced than Mexico, but we have yet to check our Peru, Colombia and a couple of other South American countries enough to comment).
Our travels this coming winter (24/25) will take us to Southeast Asia and so we hope to have some new and less expensive areas to add to our consideration box.
Stay tuned!
Thank you for watching.
Some could say Bucerias is not worth the hype either - which I think you did touch on briefly. As always, depends on what type of lifestyle and atmosphere you’re looking for. For me, I moved to Bucerias for its small town charm, which I had experienced over many years of visits. If I were to come to Bucerias for the first time now, it would no longer be my choice. But I understand if others find it just what they want. One thing you find out for sure once you move to another country - or even another state - no place is paradise. Every place has its good and bad - and all of it is subject to change, as we have certainly seen here in Bucerias over the last two years.
Yes, that is right. Places change. They grow and change. ....the search for some continues!
We also heard great things about Bucerias and chose to live there for a time....we were also surprised at the HUGE highrises and many other factors.
Thank you so much for watching and commenting.
For the past 12 months we here at Lake Chapala have been in the most intense El Nino in 20 years with record highs. Hopefully this is not going to be the norm going forward. We are set to see record highs in June but a very strong La Nina is supposed to move in here in July. Hopefully it will bring a good rainy season and return the mild temps. It's very dry here. But one thing to note. It's expensive here. One of the more expensive places in Mexico. BTW Ajijic is pronounced Ah-hee-heek.
Thanks for the tip on the pronunciation we actually had people tell us two different ways so we'll just stick with whatever comes to our mind at the time haha!
Yes here's hoping La Nina can bring you and the area some much needed rain and moisture.
Thank you so much for watching our video and adding to the comment section, we appreciate it!
Thanks! Interesting.
@@msmartyaz thank you for watching. We do hope we gave you things to think about.
Happy and safe travels to you!
Ayr & Lori
Price of food: A friend is in St. Louis, MO right now (5/24). Panera half salad/half sandwich $20.
Crazy right!?
Yeah, a lot of water used and barely any rain: everything, everywhere, is drying up.
Scary.
Yes yes, they need rain there desperately. We have some acquaintances in the area and I think she said they were starting to get a bit of rain...🙏
How much, not sure.
They would need much rain for several years in a row for the area to fully recover. As it is now it's pretty enough of a lake view from a distance but for us not an area that we could be in longer term (or even shorter term if we're being honest). We feel grateful for having had the opportunity to go and visit for a couple of months and we're good with that.
We wanted to see for ourselves.
💕🤗
Hope you liked our vid and info. It was hard while climbing that hill side!
Only town with an American Legion in Mexico..should get a big welcome there!
Interesting tidbit @ssamsan, thank you for sharing for those who are looking for it!
Thanks for watching and we welcome you to our channel.
I liked your video, thanks for being honest. I'm also here checking it out and it's a no for me too. And I don't know why the gringos here can be so rude, online and off. The first thing I saw in the market was some old American man demanding a product in English to a young woman employee. She looked intimidated and fearful. Nice. I guess there's just a lot of grumpy old people here. That, along with the other things you mentioned, don't make me want to come back.
Oh boy, well yeah....we were trying to be as nice as possible in our video because we know there are lovely, patient and kind people in the area also, but we witnessed (online and off) an abruptness, rudeness and entitlement attitude from expats and foreigners in the Lake Chapala area....more than in many other places we've been in Mexico. Although, when we think back to the more "touristy" places in Mexico, let's say Puerto Vallarta for ex, generally speaking, we have witnessed far more cranky and rude expat behavior. It's too bad. It's a turn off. Maybe in the Ajijic area they are cranky due to their drying up lake? or the ingestion of pesticides from the local berries?? 😵🤭
We hope you find your longer term place and we thank you so much for contributing your experience here for us and for others.
Welcome to our channel! We will continue to aim to bring you honest and balanced info, thank you for finding us!
Ayr & Lori
Yes on a video of PV...
Thank you for the feedback, we'll make a note of it.🥂
Are you thinking of PV as a location for yourself?
@@PlanFree Backstory... I visited Chapala for 4 hours... was planning on 2 or 3 days. However, everything you expressed honestly in your video we experienced and observed in those 4 hours. Thus we left, continued on our roadtrip to sleep and visit elsewhere in the State. Was extremely disappointed, as we were told how amazing it was, a most go see and visit. Saw this video and wondered if my first impressions were the same as yours. Just maybe we had missed something or did not give it a fair shake so to speak. Turns out your perspective the same as ours. Thus, glad we did not linger longer. Lived in Mazatlán for almost 7 years and 3yrs on Stone Island. Moved to PV a year ago. After this first year, curious if your perspective will be the same as mine is currently. Have subscribed as I travel often. Mexico my home nest. Not heard anyone else give such an honest perspective on Chapala, thus respect and value your videos.
@dianewolf-latham3766
Hi Diane,
Well thank you for saying so.
We certainly aren't putting our videos out just for "views"... as some people would say but we really wanted to get our balanced viewpoint on the area out there.
We were so excited to go and experience the Lake Chapala area after hearing SO much about it and we're, I guess, a bit surprised at some of the things we talk about.
Sounds like you have traveled in Mexico extensively yourself and it's now your home "nest" as you say, which is pretty cool
Good for you!
We have also spent a considerable amount of time in different areas: the state of Oaxaca (and quite liked it), Baja Sur, and this past winter before we went to Chapala we spent several months in Puerto Vallarta. For us, the Puerto Vallarta, Nuevo Vallarta, Bucerias areas just far too developed for us and our tastes. People are losing their views, the infrastructure is not there and some areas can even be quite stinky with sewawe! I mean yes you have access to a gym and a Costco but really there's more to life than that. We prefer a bit of a more spread out community, a little quieter, a little slower overalland MORE MEXICAN! Lol
Even though we enjoyed our time in the Puerto Vallarta area it's not really our cup of tea.
We wouldn't return willingly! Haha
Sounds like we have some similar tastes!
We are so glad you found us and e are here to chat more.
Ayr & Lori
Where to next?
Hey!👋
Currently off grid/boondock camping in various locations of British Columbia and Alberta for the summer. Once it gets too cold-SE Asia-thinking Thailand/Vietnam for 6 months. What are you up to?
Cheers!
@@PlanFree good idea, have you ever been there before? That's my plan in the next couple months, with a trip to the Philippines, especially Baguio city where it's much cooler.
Truly spoken.
It was great to see you both again!🥂
Heat wave in Guadalajara and Chapala is highest in recorded history.
Hi Jana,
Is that happening now, May 2024?
@@PlanFree yes
I’m curious… why would the expats not be friendly?
Well we were curious too!
We hate to say it...but since you asked.... it does seem like there's always a bunch of crabs who are opinionated, excluding and/or unfriendly, either in person in an area or behind their Facebook keyboard! Who knows why!?
Lol
That was our experience as well as feedback from friends who live permanently in the area.
We find that when an area has a very large population of expats they're generally tends to be the types we mentioned above.
@@PlanFree that's true EVERYWHERE. People who love to complain! Maybe nobody ever listened to them? who knows, who cares. I spent several winters in San Miguel de Allende where there are some reports of very snobby expats, but there were so many people to be friends with, I chose the ones that were nice, friendly and love music. I think energetically it's Ajijic x 10, plus LOTS of cobblestones. And hills.
Yes we heard that about San Miguel de Allende! You are funny and have a great way of putting things. Lol
Glad YOU said it! But we can't on our channel ...we have to be a little more tactful...people would really be up in arms at us!
Those can be the kind of expats in an area especially when the area has a large tourist concentration.
Yeah....we also wanted to visit and try living in san Miguel, but had heard about the cobblestones and steep streets.....not for us.
Where is home for you now?
Thank you so much for watching and for your comment, love it!
Lori (& Ayr)
GDL does not pull ALL of their water from Lake Chapala. The Lake level goes up and down based on rainy season. Last year (2023) was 1/3 the annual rainfall in the last 10 years. As far as activities are concerned...what's the problem with going 30-45 minutes into GDL to anything you want to do? Best of both worlds as far as I am concerned--concerts, zoo, Opera, etc.. Looking for 'friendly people'...hit the Ajijic Plaza or Lake Chapala Society. Jocotepec is not popular with expats (yet). To give a true picture of expat life Lakeside--live from San Juan Cosala to Chapala. This is a skewed viewpoint for that reason. The streets in Ajijic are narrow because they are ancient...it was a poor fishing village and buildings have been preserved.
We enjoyed reading your points and we thank you for sharing them.
As we mentioned in our video the area does have things that we enjoyed but there were more that we found to be cumbersome and so it doesn't change our viewpoint that it's not our place to settle but we really did like that you highlighted some of the good points for people. 👍
We thank you for watching our video and taking the time to comment that's the best.
Cheers!
Ayr & Lori
I lived there from 1985 until almost 89. I went back several years ago and it is not the Ajijic and the North Shore I enjoyed. I plan to retire to Mexico when my Mom passes. BUT not to that area. The Highlands, yes. But not anywhere near Lake Chapala. As you stated it is more Canada/US than Mexico
Yes we feel the same way... somewhere in the highlands is ideal. 100%
But Chapala/Ajijic is now too developed and overpriced for our tastes also.
May you find your ideal location when the time comes.
Keep in touch,
Ayr & Lori
@@PlanFree I found my "forever" city 8 yrs. ago. But family illness prevented me from moving at that time and is still holding me back. Climate change has made my dream city (Morelia) questionable. Drought issues and this year over a month of 90-degree plus high temperatures. The average highs were always in the 60-75 degree range, except for about two weeks in the low 80s when I started looking. I may travel during the hot spells????
@@jackwilliams9114 Ahhh yes, we have found a few places as you describe also. 6-8 or so months of the year almost perfect and then a couple months of tougher weather. That is FAR batter than, say, 8 months of winter (such as northern Canada, where we're from!), 3.5 months of questionable so so whether and then a mere two weeks of summer! hahaaaa
I believe we've heard of Morelia before (in Michoacan?), we'll have to check it out one day.
May you and your family be well and may you be blessed for caring for them now in their time of need!
Ayr & Lori
Today in May 37
Right. That's getting pretty toasty.
(If we understand what you wrote correctly...)
Great video. I like the honesty.
Thank you!
We definitely were honest, from our point of view. And we were trying to be kind to the people and the area also. There are some things we didn't mention that are quite concerning in regards to the water contamination levels etc. because we didn't want to go overboard. But concerning things do exist there that people dont talk about!
Anyways, we definitely put our hearts and our information out there for people because we hope someone can benefit frm the accurate and honest viewpoint.
I'm not sure we would have gone to explore the area if someone else had an honest depiction (both good and bad) of some of the things in the area.
Overall we're glad we went but we probably would never make a permanent move there.
Do you plan to visit Lake Chapala?
@@PlanFree I was actually offered a rental in the heart of Ajijic for 3 months this summer (I’m in Mazatlan where it is brutally hot then) but having seen your video, I have second thoughts.
Yeah I mean having second thoughts is a thing! But if a person is aware of the drawbacks (as now you are) or the non awesome parts, haha, of an area you could still go and enjoy other things about it. For instance, you're in Mazatlan and it's so brutally hot in certain months, you might just take Ajijic for what it is and enjoy the milder climate ....knowing that it's congested, knowing the cobblestones are terrible, knowing all those other things we talked about...now you know and are more prepared. But if a person (like us) didn't know about the drawbacks or the negatives and had only heard about the good things and then went thinking it's utopia ....well we just wanted people to know that it really was far from utopia for us. For you, a one time experience for a short 3 month stay could be great as an escape to the oppressive heat.
You know?
Because at the end of the day, I was telling Ayr the other day, that I'm glad we went but I'm glad it was only for a short 2 month stay and we weren't committed to longer term or permanent.
So, there you go.
Lori
@@PlanFree Thanks for your valuable input as always
Ahh you're awesome, our pleasure!
It's Ajijic with the c sounding like a k
K, thanks!
Not true! It is quite the correct pronunciation. If you are native, the last letter is often left off.
Well said and done. Honesty ! Love it.
Well thank you so much for saying so. We really appreciate it!
Was there something specific that stood out to you that we talked about and have you visited the area yourself?
Ayr & Lori
@@PlanFree Lived in Chapala from 1997 to 2011.Was a Special place back then, but lost its charm with increased tourism, comercialism, and terrible traffic. Still visit friends but no where near the same.
@Rossy-tf2jh ahhhh yes, those early years sound like they would have been ideal.
Where do you live or where have your travels taken you now (if you care to share)?
Yes climate change has really effected the area..the lake has receeded badly and it's 93degrees today..
Yes we sure hope there is a recovery some day 🙏
The lake itself was one of the big draws for us to visit the area and when we discovered how low it was and some of the pollution articles we read it was quite disappointing. 😔
Not to mention the spraying and huge amounts of fertilizer used in the expansive berry industry all over the area... not great unfortunately.
Those are the things that can really impact a quality of life in an area. And, they usually aren't discussed.
We think people should know and THEN make their decision.
Thank you so much for watching and for writing your comment.
Welcome to our channel!
@PlanFree My Mom and I moved here last year, bought a home and really love the area..
Good for you both, we're really glad to hear it!
Take good care Fred!
thanks, I am tired of Mexico after Los Cabos (being 2 times 5 months each)... which I found WAY OVER PRICED in EVERYTHING... so much imitation, their money oriented mentality, imitation stuff, beach is not beautiful, and thing to do other than touristic entertainment.. Now Mexico pesos went up too much, not interesting for me anymore.. at the moment anyway.
absolutely you should move elsewhere...less trasffic for the rest of us here in Ajijic
You definitely need less traffic! Lol. Most of us are happy to leave the area to help you all sort out your traffic 🙏😇
...and infrastructure
...and prices
...and water pollution
It was enjoyable enough but not all the hype it gets.
Gorgeous murals though!
😉
Hi Jasmin!
Well.....yes. touristy areas getting very tiring and expensive after a while.
And if we are being completely honest ....if there's too many gringos in an area, many of them, as they get older they tend to get a little bit....sorry...but cranky!
Lol
Not at all a contribution to the area.
Sounds like it's time for you both to explore other countries.
Have you seen our series on Guatemala? ....Lovely people, better pricing, coffee is awesome!
Ayr & Lori
@@PlanFree Thanks Lori, how about Costa Rica? I know you guys were there. Some of our friends are living in RC, but my concern is humidity cause when they come to visit Canada, they smell fungus all over their body LOL They said it's very beautiful but so humid :))) Food is so so?
@jjasminchang hi again!
Well for us Costa Rica was really marvelous to go and visit but it will never be our permanent home.
The heat and humidity on the coast is quite unbearable, the rain is virtually nonstop in the higher elevations, not to mention also that most areas now are way way overpriced and touristy and the food is what you say ...it's either a mix of rice, beans and chicken or else beans, chicken and rice or else just rice and beans...
😂
Perhaps go and enjoy a 3 or 6 months stay and then move on. That's where we're at with CR.
Have you some of our seen our CR videos? Here's one:
ua-cam.com/video/YxSbCdhjmp4/v-deo.htmlsi=owdDBtyFI0wWlBmT
Sorry you had such a disappointing experience. 🦜We've lived here for nearly 7 years with our youngest daughter who was 21 when we moved here and is now 28.(We moved in our mid 60s). She's loving it here and her social life is totally booked and she is secretary of the local Chapala Morning Rotary going on 4 years now and her dad is about to step down as this year's Club President. She plays pickleball at 3 or four different courts (as well as having been on a local women's soccer team...) and has a ton of friends as well as volunteers at a girl's home. The first 2 1/2 years we lived in Chapala Centro (House with a fabulous 30 foot pool and garden, and a block away from the Chapala Malacon (FUN!) and 1.5 blocks from the Christiania Park (Fabulous!). Lots of great restaurants and fiestas. Now we live in Upper Riberas del Pilar in a home we remodeled 4+ years ago. Lovely neighborhood...
I am currently in a terrific book club (pre and post pandemic). I'm also a 6 year member of a lovely and friendly women's group that enjoys lunches together ~ Usually about 25 of us. Another group (20 fabulous, fun and interesting women) that have dinner at the Chapala Malecon once a month.
Living in Jocotopec is a totally different experience. And this year the Lake looks very different ~ that is true. However, I have seen pictures of Lake Chapala in ?2008? that show cars driving way out past where the "beach" is now.
Did you take the boat trip to Mescala Island to visit the ruins? Eat at Frida's? Adelita's? Blue Rose? Mediterraneo? Posada Nuevo? El Charro? Route 104? Letra Che? Casa Linda? La Vita Bella? Savta? Have coffee and treats on the Plaza at Black and White Coffee? Go to the state of the art movie theaters (for $2 USD)? Join up with the Hiking group? Kayaking Group? Go to the Folk Art Museum? Lake Chapala Society for lunch and check out their fabulous library? Take a trip up to Mazamitla? We just went up today to go zip lining and have lunch at Aguacatlan.
Did you find out that we have lots of young families here with some really great schools. For example, today when in Mazamitla we were zip lining with a family whose father is a US citizen and the mom is Russian and their 3 kids, whose ages are 14, 11 and 9 attend the International School here.
A neighbor of mine is both Spanish and French and spends time in Europe, the US as well as Mexico City. The point being besides being a friendly Mexican town it is also quite cosmopolitan.
Again, sorry you feel you aren't a fit here. Wishing you all the best in your search for a place that Is a fit for you.
Well thank you so much Lannie.
We were surprised that it wasn't a better fit for us also but that's okay! Life goes like that some times.
We did do a couple of the things you mentioned on your list for activities and a couple of different ones that you didn't list.
LOVE your list of activities by the way, as well as the eateries. After trying a few other restaurants that you did not list we felt we didn't want to afford those kind of prices!! Wow.
Cosmopolitan perhaps....but we prefer great food at Mexican prices! 😉☺️
Overall we just wanted to say way to go to you both and your family for getting involved. Doing that anywhere is so important and we're glad you have! We tried. Oh well! Haha
Cheers to many more years of happiness in Ajijuc for you!
Thank you very much for watching our video and adding to the comment section, we appreciate it.
Ayr & Lori
a hee HEEK. thought you might want to know, :)
At least it gave you one thing to talk about. ; )
It is quite correct! I thought You might want to know.