Forums > Areas > Jalisco's Lake Chapala Region

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tonyburton

Oct 25, 2006, 4:27 PM

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Trip down Memory Lane

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OK; I'll bite.
Let's play the "I remember when..." game.
I'll start.
I remember when there were NO traffic lights between Chapala and Jocotepec... [Q: How many sets of lights are there now if you travel from the Hwy 15 junction just west of Joco via San Anotnio Tlayacapan and Chapala to the highway exiting Chapala towards the airport?]

(This post was edited by tonyburton on Oct 31, 2006, 3:28 PM)

viajita

Oct 25, 2006, 5:29 PM

Post #2 of 28 (2939 views)

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Re: [tonyburton] Thread to break this forum's record period of inactivity!

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Too damn many! I remember when the milkman delivered milk in my neighborhood on horseback, wood was delivered on the back of burros, and my lovely Mexican neighbor brought me tortillas made from scratch every day for which I paid 3 pesos!

Ron Pickering W3FJW

Oct 25, 2006, 5:31 PM

Post #3 of 28 (2938 views)

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Re: [tonyburton] Thread to break this forum's record period of inactivity!

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I believe there's 6 if I recomember correctly from last March. This is on the road from Joco to Chapalla, not counting the light in Chapala.
Getting older and still not down here.

MazDee

Oct 25, 2006, 7:21 PM

Post #4 of 28 (2922 views)

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Re: [tonyburton] Thread to break this forum's record period of inactivity!

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Tony, maybe the Chapala forum is not that hot anymore, same as the SMA one wasn't. Maybe it should be relegated to the Guad, Jalisco forum? Anyway, I do have a question. I visited Ajijíc a few years ago and stayed at a lovely B&B called Los Artistas. People used to rave about this place, which is why I stayed there. Nobody ever mentions it now. I wonder what has happened. My hosts were lovely and I thoroughly enjoyed the place. Any comments, Ajijíc folks?

johanson

Oct 25, 2006, 8:48 PM

Post #5 of 28 (2906 views)

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Re: [MazDee] Thread to break this forum's record period of inactivity!

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The owners of Los Artistas, changed maybe 6 years. They are Kent and Linda who happen to be from Alaska and who are doing a great job. I understand that things are going well. In fact they have just or about to expand.

MazDee

Oct 25, 2006, 9:38 PM

Post #6 of 28 (2898 views)

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Re: [johanson] Thread to break this forum's record period of inactivity!

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Well, it was Kent and Linda I stayed with alright. I wonder why no one mentions this place anymore? I thought it was so nice.

PeggyS

Oct 26, 2006, 12:48 AM

Post #7 of 28 (2885 views)

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Re: [MazDee] Thread to break this forum's record period of inactivity!

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Kent and Linda's beautiful B & B estate is just as lovely as ever. MY husband and I were married there five years ago. Linda has been operated on for her allergies and Kent is going in for a knee operation before long, so to see what is going on, log on to their website with its gorgeous pictures. Los Artistas, of course.

Bloviator

Oct 26, 2006, 4:37 AM

Post #8 of 28 (2876 views)

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Re: [MazDee] Thread to break this forum's record period of inactivity!

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When my daughter and son-in-law visited last year we gave them a night off from kids and us - my wife refers to it as a sleep-over for the grandchildren - at Los Artistes. They very much enjoyed the night of peace and the lovely B&B.

Speaking of B&Bs reminds me of something that I have been thinking about lately. Lake Chapala is not a tourist destination for gringos. It may be for Mexicans to an extent - mainly week-enders from Guad - but not for people from outside Mexico.

There are two significant hotels lakeside - Real de Chapala and Danza del Sol (only sort of significant, depending on the condition of repairs). They cater primarily to Mexicans. There are approximately 20 B&Bs. It each houses ten couples, that provides about 200 total rooms lakeside. Puerta Vallarta, we're not.

Do you agree with my estimates? Visiting family members and long term (snowbird/sunbird) part-timers are not tourists in the traditional sense of lthe word.

wendy devlin

Oct 26, 2006, 5:01 AM

Post #9 of 28 (2870 views)

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Re: [viajita] Thread to break this forum's record period of inactivity!

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> remember when the milkman delivered milk in my neighborhood on horseback, wood was delivered on the back of burros...

Those were the days:)

Now there's six traffic lights???

So does anyone remember riding out to Laguna Chapala by train?

A favorite account of those train days is told in Sybil Bedford's 1953 travelog, "Visit with Don Octavio", in October's book review section by Cogan

tonyburton

Oct 26, 2006, 7:49 AM

Post #10 of 28 (2845 views)

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Re: [wendy devlin] Thread to break this forum's record period of inactivity!

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So does anyone remember riding out to Laguna Chapala by train?

Hahahaha! Nice one, Wendy. The railway ceased in 1926, so you'd need to be in your late eighties or older, with a fantastic memory from your early childhood...

jimindetroit

Oct 26, 2006, 9:54 AM

Post #11 of 28 (2826 views)

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Re: [dlyman6500] Thread to break this forum's record period of inactivity!

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"There are two significant hotels lakeside - Real de Chapala and Danza del Sol (only sort of significant, depending on the condition of repairs). They cater primarily to Mexicans."

You didn't mention La Nueva Posada, a beautiful hotel many of us have stayed in. The rooms are large and clean, the food and drinks are good and the grounds are manicured. Besides, it's a gathering place for local English-speaking residents for meetings and meals.

Bloviator

Oct 26, 2006, 10:10 AM

Post #12 of 28 (2818 views)

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Re: [jimindetroit] Thread to break this forum's record period of inactivity!

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True, but it only has 17 rooms. That precludes it being a "significant" hotel in terms of a large tourist facility. Perhaps I should have included a category of boutique hotels to include it and Mi Abuelas .... I don't know of others - perhaps Brisas de Chapala?

patricio_lintz

Oct 26, 2006, 5:01 PM

Post #13 of 28 (2752 views)

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Re: [wendy devlin] Thread to break this forum's record period of inactivity!

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Milk is still delivered by burro in Chapala central. Usually viejtos are the customers. I lived on Degollado near the post office until Feb. This year. The guy on the burro delivered twice a week next door to the very nice viejita.

Marcy

Oct 31, 2006, 2:48 PM

Post #14 of 28 (2626 views)

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Re: [patricio_lintz] Thread to break this forum's record period of inactivity!

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I love this thread. I wish more people would post their remembrences of Ajijic's past.
I remember when there was just one phone in the village. It was at the Posada Ajijic. (the Old Posada) If someone wanted to contact you in a hurry from NOB they would send a telegram to the postoffice.
I remember that there was no graffiti or litter anywhere. Everything was recycled into little objects de arte and sold to the tourists.
Packs of feral dogs would roam the streets, making it sometimes dangerous to walk alone at night. Since there were no such things as Vets or vaccinations, dogs would have to be shot periodicly. The same problem would occur yearly with equines and their specific diseases. The bodies would be piled up outside of town along side of the highway and burned.
There was just one decent place to stay. It was the Posada Ajijic. There was one other place that rented rooms but it was a dive and had bedbugs.
I remember hitching rides on the backs of burros when we'd get tired of walking. We could stear and stop them with a simple stick.
There were no washing machines, televisions or computers. I don't remember seeing a vacuum cleaner during those years either.
There were very few vehicles on the streets in those days. Weekends would bring some from Guad but it was still pretty quiet.
No stop signs or lights anywhere between Joco and Chapala.
We used to drive through Chapala to get to Guadalajara.
No indoor markets or movie theaters in the village.
They used to butcher cattle on the sidewalk near the plaza.
You could count on loosing power for hours whenever it rained and it was a pretty safe bet that you would lose it for a period of time at least once a day every day.
I was not allowed to wear slacks out in public unless I was riding my horse. Even though the style NOB was mini skirts, ours had to be below the knees. I wasn't allowed to walk anywhere alone either. I had to be accompanied by another female or family member at all times.
I could go on and on but I won't do that to you.
Marsha SW Colorado

tonyburton

Oct 31, 2006, 3:27 PM

Post #15 of 28 (2619 views)

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Re: [Marcy] Thread to break this forum's record period of inactivity!

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More! More!
Great post, Marcy!
When, roughly, are you talking about? 1960s?, 1970s?...
And, when you get chance, please take another trip down memory lane and give us another installment, Tony.

Marcy

Oct 31, 2006, 3:54 PM

Post #16 of 28 (2607 views)

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Re: [tonyburton] Thread to break this forum's record period of inactivity!

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Thanks Tony, I lived in Ajijic as a teenager from 1965 through 1968. I visited twice in 1972 and 1973. It had changed quite a bit by then. More gringos, big, fancy houses, indoor market and theater. Still, there weren't many homes on the mountain side of the highway yet.
I plan to make a trip down there in 2007 with my sister. Would you or someone be so kind as to recommend a good B&B or hotel near the plaza?
Is there a car rental place near or in the village? It used to be quite scary to drive in Guad. and I can't imagine that it has improved and is possibly worse. We would like to have a car to go on day trips around the lake.
We can take buses to the city.
I've gleened, from reading these posts, that a credit card is generally not accepted in most places. Am I correct?
When are the coolest tems/humidity? I've forgotten. I mostly remember not liking April winds and heat. Of course, I wasn't much affected by such things back then.
Thank you in advance for any info/advice/links that anyone cares to share.
Marsha SW Colorado

tonyburton

Oct 31, 2006, 6:54 PM

Post #17 of 28 (2570 views)

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Egg on my face...

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It has been politely pointed out to me by Marvin West that his column on this very site, only a few months ago, has numerous anecdotes as told him by Marsha: http://mexconnected.com/...t/westwords0706.html
Wonderful stuff! Wish I had time to read all the site every month... [puts dunce's cap on and goes to corner]

johanson

Oct 31, 2006, 6:57 PM

Post #18 of 28 (2569 views)

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Re: [Marcy] Thread to break this forum's record period of inactivity!

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Did you like the old Posada? The owners of the old Posada opened La Nueva Posada around 1990. It's much more modern and perhaps 5 blocks to the East lakeside.

Take a look at http://www.mexconnect.com/...st/nueva/posada.html

There are many other great places here as well. I know several folks from the US and Canada who were here when you were in town some about your age. Heck the owner of the New Posada have been here since the 60s or 70s. I take that back I guess his mom is still the owner. His brother is the RE broker at Eager and Associates across the street from La Nueva Posada.

patricio_lintz

Oct 31, 2006, 7:59 PM

Post #19 of 28 (2556 views)

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Re: [Marcy] Thread to break this forum's record period of inactivity!

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Check Mexico weather here:
http://makeyourhomeinmexico.com/Dictionary4.html

Marcy

Nov 1, 2006, 8:12 AM

Post #20 of 28 (2522 views)

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Re: [johanson] Thread to break this forum's record period of inactivity!

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I want to thank those of you who answered my last post.
I remember seeing a chart with average weather and temps for each month. I would love to see it again but have been unsucessful in finding it again. Anyone??
I used to love the Old Posada. Especially the gardens and the restrooms covered in Talavera tiles. They used to let us swim in the pool as well.
We would attend the weekend band and dancing affairs quite regularly. I was most entertained by the gringos and their seeming total sense of abandonment when they visited Mexico. The natives must have thought they were out of their minds but were too polite to let on.
The beach in front of the posada was wide enough to drive one car for several blocks east. The pier was barely above water. I loved going down there when school let out and watch the little boys come running down, all the while shedding their clothes, and jump off the pier into the water. The laughter and complete happiness were infectious.
My father had the strange idea that horses should be bathed everyday. I would lead my horse from the pier into the deep water to get wet and scrub her down with laundry detergent and a stiff brush.Then lead her out again to rinse off. (so much for enviornmental awareness)It's a wonder she had any hair left.
I hope to hear from anyone and everyone that might have any advice or tips for our trip down there.
Saludes, Marsha SW Co.

RickS

Nov 1, 2006, 6:10 PM

Post #21 of 28 (2464 views)

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Re: [Marcy] Thread to break this forum's record period of inactivity!

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Marsha, I did not see anyone address your car rental question. Yes, there are at least a couple of agencies here in Ajijic. Another option for you is to go online prior to coming down and get a reservation with one of the major agencies serving the airport (National, Budget, etc). You will get a better rate that way, or at least that has been my experience. The drive to Ajijic from the airport is an easy 25km because the airport is on the way to Lakeside, and the road down is actually pretty easy as it is 4-lane. Or grab a cab from the airport to Ajijic for $280 pesos. You choice of course.

I didn't see many (one?) recommendations for your B&B question either. There are a ton of them here from around $35 US to maybe $85ish per night for a couple. Look here for a list and online access to many of them; some of the newer ones aren't here and some of these may be 'gone', but there is plenty to choose from here:

http://www.pagescribe.com/realtors,lodging.html

deesmess

Nov 3, 2006, 9:22 AM

Post #22 of 28 (2377 views)

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Re: [tonyburton] Trip down Memory Lane

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I love to take trips down memory lane!!!
I remember saying at the Old Posada Ajijic wen it was owned by the Waterburys and then later after the young couple from Canada- "the Eagers" bought it and painstakingly began restoring each of the rooms.
I remember dancing at the El Tejaban to blues music sung by Danny ? an African American who owned a beautiful white mare.
I remember watching a match race at la floresta between stud horses to see which would be the lucky one who would be bred to Danny's beautiful white mare.
I remember hanging out with the hippies that rented rooms from Zara at her "Old Mill"!!
I remember Zara riding her horse through town.
I remember coco malteadas at the farmacia on the plaza for breakfast.
I remember PepeFarias, who rowed me out to the middle of the lake and serenaded me with "Cielito Lindo"
I also remember Pepe had a lot of girlfriends!!!
I remember climbing the mountains to the waterfalls and swimming in thelittle pools up there while listneing to Credence Clearwater

Oh my gosh! I need to visit Ajijic again! Has it really changed?????

jaybear

Nov 3, 2006, 2:13 PM

Post #23 of 28 (2350 views)

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Re: [deesmess] Trip down Memory Lane

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You can still have a drink and dance at the Old Posada. You can still climb to the waterfalls with your Credence Clearwater tapes. In between the Old Posada and the waterfalls, you might not recognize anything or anybody. Come on down anyway. It has to be seen to be believed.

arbon

Nov 3, 2006, 2:39 PM

Post #24 of 28 (2340 views)

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Re: [jaybear] Trip down Memory Lane

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"You can still climb to the waterfalls with your Credence Clearwater tapes."

or you could have CCR on an MP3, a very tiny gismo.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

wendy devlin

Nov 3, 2006, 2:44 PM

Post #25 of 28 (2337 views)

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Re: [deesmess] Trip down Memory Lane

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If Pepe's still alive,
He probably hasn't changed:)

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