The End of our Wonderful Adventure in Mexico

Eric Enjoying Himself in Ajijic

Yesterday, Eric’s and my (and our dog Otto’s), adventure living in Ajijic came to an end. We loaded our five suitcases and a few plastic tubs and our pillows and Otto, into our little Hyundai hatchback, along with our windshield glass breaking tool (in case of being submerged), and our box of flares and reflective triangular orange flashers (in case of some road emergency); and we drove to Puerto Vallarta, an 11 hour trip due to brake problems as we came down the steep and curvy road
from Compostela to sea level.

We arrived at last, at 8:30. Very, very happy to be here (and to be alive!)! We will spend 8 more nights in Puerto Vallarta, enjoying the ocean and the malecon (right outside our wonderful room!), and the city, and all the places we know and love.

Eric and Otto on Colon, 
Ajijic's Main Street

On May 18, after 14 months living in Mexico; we’ll pack up the car again and head north, 1000 miles through the beautiful Mexican countryside to the border at Nogales. We’ll arrive there on the afternoon of the third day of driving (if all goes well). From the border we’ll drive across Arizona to California and all the way up California to Oregon and all the way through Oregon to Washington, and half way through Washington to our condo in Burien, near Seattle – another 1600 miles. Fortunately, we love driving trips!

We are happy that we’ll see our friends and family in Washington again, who we’ve missed; and happy that Amazon will deliver to our door, and that we’ll get to experience the beauty of Puget Sound again and hear the sound of the seagulls and see them dipping and circling; and that we’ll get to see the magnificence of the Cascade Mountains to the east and the sharp peaks of the Olympics to the west against the skyline, and the Oregon Coast and the rhododendrons, if any are still in bloom.

The High Hills Behind Lake Chapala

But we are also feeling a sense of loss. We made a life for ourselves in Ajijic; of walks on the malecon and shopping at little vegetable markets and enjoying the perpetual sunshine and cheap meals out and making pictures and volunteering and walking Otto all around the town - letting him off his leash by the lake, where he loved to run, scaring the great egrets and snowy egrets and blue herons and black winged night herons and coots and the other birds whose names I don’t know or have forgotten -- they would fly up, one by one, from the shallows where they swam or bobbed or stood, as he ran past them.

Pelicans on Lake Chapala

And we will miss Lake Chapala, a beautiful backdrop to everything, with its little lapping waves and marshy shore, in places -and so large – the largest lake in Mexico; and we’ll miss the brightly painted stone and brick and stucco houses – teal, lavender, mango and turquoise, and the bright orange and purple and yellow flowers, blooming all year, even now, at the end of the dry season. 

Lake Chapala and the Malecon at Sunset

We will, especially, miss the friends we’ve made, with whom we’ve shared a lot of fun times, interesting stories, good food and laughter - who we hope to see again. We will be back in Ajijic, certainly, though we are not sure when.

We have learned so much, living in Mexico - discovered that we are resilient and capable and able to overcome obstacles; and how different life is in a different country, with a different language and a different culture. Also, we’ve discovered the magnificent art and music of Mexico and the history of Mexico - centuries of brutal oppression, and of struggling to overcome oppression; and the beauty of Mexico – a huge country

Marge in Puerto Vallarta This Morning;
a Beautiful Day

Eric in Puerto Vallarta This Morning -
Enjoying the Sunshine

with so much awe inspiring scenery – a country that was just a blank to us, previously; and we have discovered the pleasure of speaking Spanish (and the difficulty of mastering it), and experienced some irritants (topes, mosquitos, cojetes). We’ve been through some hard times and many good times; and, though we yearn to see the Pacific Northwest again, and are looking forward to being there, I know that we will miss Mexico, and the life we have here, once we are gone.

What a wonderful adventure it's been! We are happy to be going back - and very happy we came!