Welcome to Ajijic - Eric

Now for something completely different.
Our first four months in Mexico were spent in Puerto Vallarta, an international tourist destination city on a saltwater bay. Since June, we've been in Ajijic, an expat-heavy village on a lake in the central highlands.
You might say Puerto Vallarta is for vacationing while Ajijic is for living.

Ajijic malecon in the evening

My introduction to Ajijic was a little rough.
Ajijic is 5,000 feet above sea level--2,000 feet higher than Snoqulamie Pass. I had to adjust to the altitude. One way to describe it is that I felt like I had been rode hard and put away wet. In other words, my get-up-and-go got up and went.
Not helping was a series of accidents, including backing into a parked truck with our car, getting stung by a bee and jamming my fingers in a sliding door.
Oh, and I took a header off a steep driveway ramp onto a cobblestone road. Head vs. rock and the rock won. I looked pretty bad at the time but the scars have healed.
No concussion. And I didn't have a concussion, either.

Head vs. rock and the rock won

At least, it wasn't the usual expat ankle sprain caused by a misstep on cobblestones.
But now that we are somewhat acclimated, the challenge is to make a good life here. As time goes by we will gain more friends and activities. We  do pal around with Robin, a Trump refugee from North Carolina, and her poodle dog Agatha, a champion licker.
Marge has been focussed on learning Spanish with several classes a week and numerous tutors. She is scaling back somewhat, but I still think she is aiming to become an interpreter at the U.N. She is also having great fun taking photos for blog posts and art projects.
I walk Otto on the picturesque malecon (lakeside boardwalk) every morning. My other big activity is "Film Aficionados." This guy shows great foreign and U.S. movies for free on Thursday afternoons at the Lake Chapala Society, a great resource center and sanctuary for expats. Living in this village in the middle of Mexico I don't know where he gets these movies, such as an Iranian film that was banned in that country and only shown in the West at two film festivals.
I guess that's the idea--come to Ajijic and find your own niche. Another guy produces a 20-page email list each week of live performances in the area. With so many retired gringos, there is an amazing array of good restaurants and bars--many with live music throughout the week. My favorite duo includes the winner of the Mexico "Rebecca Dare Look-A-Like Contest." They play Peace and Love music from the '60s and '70s. (Rebecca is a friend from Burien.)

Aquarius Duo every Thursday night at LaBodega

I'm happy to report our house is lizardless now. When we first moved in, there was a lizard living under the stove and another in the living room fountain.
The stove dweller was surprisingly large. When we entered the kitchen we would sternly tell it, "Now you get back under there" and it would scurry back to its temporary home. It eventually relocated to under the couch and then fled outside.
Technically, the fountain lizard was a gecko, like in the insurance commercials. Marge took it outside but it reappeared. Upon a second ejection, it left permanently.
With just the two of us plus Otto, it's kind of embarrassing how big our house is. Besides the master bedroom on the first floor, there are three more on the second floor and an outdoor balcony.
Up another flight of stairs is a rooftop terrace (mirador) with a sweeping view of the lake and surrounding hills. We occasionally have wine on the balcony before dinner. We used to have our coffee on the mirador in the morning. But it's kind of hot on the roof, even early. Also you need to drink two cups of coffee to get enough energy to walk up all those steps. After you've already had your coffee, why bother?
With all those extra bedrooms and an Ajijic housing crunch, we might be tempted to sublet the second floor for more than our rent. But we couldn't get away with that because our cleaning lady is also the property manager. We'll fill the bedrooms temporarily when company comes in August
In life, there are always trade-offs. Our house is close enough to walk to the lake, village and Lake Chapala Society.
But there are more mosquitos near the lake and more noise in the neighborhood.
It can not be overstated how much mosquitos love Marge and Otto hates sudden noises. Marge has devised several strategies to combat the bites, including various poisons and duct taping her pants to her shoes. Not all all attractive to the pests, I have callously suggested she wear a burqa.

'Get back under the stove!'