I think what we appreciate about Ajijic is that the Mexican people seem to love life. As it is. Whether they are selling fresh juice along the highway, working in a shop, or in the park with their families – the joy is apparent. Some may be more affluent than others, but it doesn’t seem to matter. Life is joy. It’s a good lesson for the gringos. I could spend some time evaluating the various reasons the gringos are down here – some good, some more…selfish – but, I think most of them are here because it’s a good place with wonderful people. The weather is pretty awesome too. However, earlier this week we had an unusual few days in the mid 50s (13 degrees celsius) with rain. And when it rains here, it doesn’t mess around!
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Last weekend was loads of fun with lots going on here. Saturday was a kite festival. Unfortunately, both times that we wandered down to the Malecon (the raised walk along the lake) no one was flying kites.π But the people watching and all the other activities were certainly enjoyable too!
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Sunday was the first of the Carnaval parades. There will be a parade every Sunday (until Lent begins) with the major parade on the Tuesday before Lent begins (Mardi Gras). This particular parade had a large band (the Husband was highly impressed by their trumpet playing skills. Band Geek) and a large number of males (of various ages) dressed as females, wearing masks and throwing flour at the bystanders. This tradition is not very old (1960s) and no one is entirely certain why it started other than to maybe blow off steam before Lent begins. Highly entertaining to watch…from a distance. I had no desire to be wearing flour.
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The Plaza is very much the place to be on Sundays. There are several restaurants, a couple of ice cream places and a couple of coffee shops along the edges, plus many vendors set up stalls selling everything from jewelry to creamy, fruity mezcal. The town of Ajijic (Axixic in Aztec) was founded in 1523. Apparently there are a couple of buildings from the 1500’s still standing – I will have to hunt them down! The church of the town is beautiful. It was built in the 1700’s to replace one damaged by an earthquake. There is also a smaller, older chapel on the edge of the Plaza, but I can’t seem to find out the age of it. There are restorations under way on it.
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With all the ex-pats here, it is not surprising that many places have Super Bowl parties. We debated about several locations, then settled on the French restaurant, Oui Oui. They have the most amazing bakery too. The husband-wife team that owns and runs both places are wonderful people who we have had the opportunity to chat with a few times. Their pain au chocolat puts a smile on my face! It was a fantastic set up with a super large screen showing the game. I was thrilled that it was being broadcast from a US station so we were able to watch the best part of the game…the commercials.π
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Now that we are wrapping up our second week in Ajijic, we are finding our groove. We have revisited a few old favorite restaurants, found some new favorites and figured out when to say buenos dias and when to say buenas tardes.πHere are some fun photos from around the area.
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