Ahhh.
We had strong coffee. The air was cool. Palm trees waved in the modest breeze. Roosters crowed, dogs barked, the sky opened and God rays pierced the Mediterranean scene. We needed this. We deserved this.
Dorothy now lives this.
The lake is big. I couldn't see the ends of it in either direction but you can see mountains - all around, and directly across the lake rises a beautifully symmetrical peak like a volcano.
We drove down to the village of Ajijic ( A-hee-hee) for lunch. I had my first taste of authentic Mexican food - one of the world's great cuisines, right up there with Italian, French, Japanese & Chinese. It's unique, flavorful and occasionally spicy. It's gourmet.
Dorothy, having previously visited here knew the right restaurants to patronize and what not to ingest. She pointed out certain ice cubes that where tube shaped.
"These" she said "are purified ice cubes. This is clean water. If you don't get ice cubes like this in your glass, don't drink."
Our food was amazing and fresh. The sauces where complex. The salsa fresh. The beer cold.
Ajijic is old and intimate with narrow cobblestoned streets. Dorothy had told me the streets were cobblestone and I thought - oh like Paris... not even close. These were not squared off Euro style pavers, these streets were paved with real stones, patiently and expertly placed.
The village is said to be 450 years old. The names of the villages here along Lake Chapala, like Ajijic and Chapala, are pre-Spanish Indian place names derived from Nahuatl, the native language of the area and part of the Uto-Aztecean family of languages.
Check out the beauty of Ajijic.
The colorfully painted buildings hug the narrow streets. Private homes, stores, restaurants, bars and inns all co-exist and keep the street life lively.
For every town a Cathedral...from the 1500's! The Mexicans are overwhelmingly Catholic.
And maybe another chapel too... with a cervesa (beer) tent out front for the holiday.
And definitely a plaza. When trees die in Ajijic Plaza they don't cut them down - they sculpt them. Look at the fish leaping out of this old tree
We spent two enchanting nights in the plaza. It was the week running up to Mexican Independence Day so there were festivities every night. The plaza was packed. Teenagers promenading, parents with little one's in tow, grandparents sitting on the benches, food vendors behind their sizzling stalls, traditional music filling the air. The plaza was festively decorated in the red, green & white colors of Mexico and twinkled at night with strung lights. It's literally the living room of the town. This is a family centered culture. It was wonderful and heartwarming to see.
As we walked through town one night I was wary as usual. It was dark. The town is not lit like American's are used too. We approached a huddle of teenagers & men. Dorothy & I were alone. I eyed them like a mouse watching a cat. Two doors up I noticed a women with two children on the sidewalk and a grandmother in the door. Quickly, whatever tension, whatever readiness I've acquired from walking American cities relaxed as I realized, again, that this is a family oriented culture. This is a small town. Everybody knows everybody's business. There are Mom's & Dad's and Grandparents and little kids everywhere and they are watching out for each other. It takes a village.
In the 60's the village started to attract artists & writers from North America ( maybe it was the 72 degree average temperature) and very slowly has built up an international ex-pat community of 6-10 thousand people. There are many First World homes and condos here but the towns and surrounding area is definitely Mexican. The ex-pats integrate with the locals. This is not a tourist town or a western style village - this is very much Mexican.
We left Ajijic and explored the communities up & down the north shore of the lake. We drove down to Jocotepec (Ho-co-ta-pek) which is a town versus the smaller village of Ajijic. It's a working class town with it's own beautiful church. We were here as school let out. The town was full of impeccably clean & smiling uniformed school kids. The town wore the wear and tear of urban life but the kids were spotless. So cute. Mom's and Dad's stood on the sidewalk waiting to pick up their kids and then walked off hand in hand. Very sweet.
We also drove down into San Juan Cosala which is similiar to Ajijic but with obviously less money flowing into it. This is a local village without the ex-pat focused shops, Inns, hotels, homes & restaurants. We ate here at a little cantina called Viva Mexico. Wonderful.
Let's eat! ...again.
View out to the street.
Streetscape in San Juan Cosala
There's never a shortage of Corona.
The next day we drove up to Chapala and explored the waterfront.
Here's some video we took touring around.
Chapala is the biggest of the settlements we toured. It's a city. We walked along the waterfront. We walked the "boardwalk" called the Malecon. We browsed traditional artisan wares and handicrafts. There were a couple tiny picturesque and ancient looking Mexican Indian women squatting with their legs folded under themselves in impossible positions weaving rugs and blankets. It was a National Geographic moment but it didn't feel right to take their picture and not buy anything. - next time. They were beautiful.
We stopped for drinks at a waterfront restaurant and were serenaded by Mariachi again. I loved the Mariachi. I loved the harmonic singing, the strident guitar, the hollow bass and the staccato hits of the horns. It's so passionate. The uniforms are flashy and the hats are huge and wide and scream "Look at me"!
Maricahi were the soundtrack of my Lake Chapala tour. Between Ajijic and San Juan Cosala, where Dorothy's house is, is a string of open air restaurants along the lake. They are family restaurants where people go to spend the day. Barbecues are always working and Mariachi are either filling the air with music or walking up the street to their next gig. It's all very festive and exciting. And there are guys in the street as you pass by waving and whistling at you to get you to pull into their restaurant. They are like matadors against the traffic.
I wasn't here long enough - just long enough to get my bearings and to get Mexico in my blood. Just long enough to get Mariachi into my heart. Just long enough to breathe the clean air and feel the Mediterranean climate on my skin. Just long enough to begin to understand the culture - to come to terms with riches & poverty living side by side.
I am planning my next trip back. It's a place I want to discover more of. And I'm learning Spanish so I can immerse myself better. It's a country full of native and Spanish colonial history, beautiful landscapes, incredible architecture, a proud cultural heritage - and what the heck, they invented Tequila!
To read about my whole road trip from the beginning - Austin to Lake Chapala Mexico click here.
