Do I REALLY Live in Mexico?

Let's see ...
The address is

Ramon Corona  #170 Interior # 19 

Coto Los Lirios

San Antonio Tyalacapan, Jalisco

Mexico 45915

... yep, so far so good.

Nice home, lots of art on the walls.

Three bed rooms, three baths, living room with 47" Samsung TV, dinning room (with a really cool 6'-8" tall and 3'-diameter beautifully glazed pot).

There's a terrace with table, 4 chairs, umbrella, large potted plants, BBQ grill, and a great view of the pool, all the normal stuff you'd expect in a condominium complex...in America or Canada.




We have a mirador with a killer view (what is a mirador? an enclosed roof top terrace), I will try to cover miradors in a future blog. A mirador is very Mexican.


Now where was I? Oh yeah, we have a laundry room with washer and drier, even a Mexican-Maytag. Not my words, that's what a Mexican friend called it, which is a sink with a built in rub board.

We have 3 TV's with cable. Hot water, you bet, most of the time, when we have water. Water we don't have right now. I checked the neighbors, also no water over there either, hmmmm. (We discover later that the water to the complex from the municipal water has for some reason been turned off.) It's Sunday morning and I guess Kay goes to church with dirty hair. I took my bath last night Ha! I just remembered, I need to brush my teeth no problem, we have bottled water.

I suppose that makes us all in this ship of fools together. This morning I am reminded of the Stone's song "YOU DON'T ALL WAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT, BUT GET WHAT YOU NEED". So true here in Mexico.

As I go for my morning walk each day I greet people on the street, buenos dias, they usually reply the same, unless they are from New York then they say "YO," or Minnesota, then it's "EH" or Texas then it's "Hi Y'all."

I was in Walmart the other day here in Ajijic and I had a question about mango. Are the green ones no bueno and the red ones bueno? So I look around for a nice lady to whom I might ask. I walk up to this lady smiled  and ask. Her reply was "HELL, I don't know!" Now I have moved 2,000 miles to Mexico only to run into someone from New York, go figure. Seriously I have found the people here in San Antonio are very kind to a Viejo from Alabama.

We attend the church at the Iglesia de Christo Tlaquepaque. The minister is Mexican. The songs, sermon, and service are all conducted in Spanish. The church is in a very Mexican neighborhood. The service is 2 hours long, with the sermon a full 1 hour and 20 minutes....en espanol.

As I look out my second story office window I see two futbol (soccer) fields. As usual some of the games are quite good, some, well," hey" they're free. The neighbors across the way, Barry from Canada, and Emily from Greece, teach the kids futbol two afternoons a week. There are two official season. Barry was with the national soccer team of Canada as their sports physician for a number of years. We also have another neighbor, Jaime Carlos, who played futbol with the Jalisco State futbol team.

Our gated community has 8' high walls all around. Wouldn't want to have to meet the neighbors you know. But this is very common throughout the villages. The complex has a make-up of approximately 40 % Mexican, 40% Canadian, and 20% American. We have a cabana near the pool and met a lot of nice neighbors there the other night at the meet and greet.

We have a gardener/gatekeeper, Jose, who does a great job with the common areas and the trash.  Down by the road we have a large double entrance gate made of iron. We have a remote key for when we are in the car. Don't really have to slow down much when coming or going [speed demon that I am....not]. It can even be operated from the house phone. You dial the special number, and say esta aqui, we say bueno and dial #01 from our phone and Velado! the gate opens and we don't have to walk to the gate to let you in.

Up on the carraterra (main road) Bubba's BBQ has all the catfish you can eat on Friday nights for 120 pesos. There is one Chinese restaurant, at least three Italian restaurant, a German restaurant and a Thai restaurant. Plus a beaucoup of Mexican places.

Down at the end of our gated drive, during the mornings one can see the caballeros towing many horses to La Floresta, the next neighborhood to the west. Here they will wait for customers all day, sitting on the stone walls in the median and talking to each other and watching their horses eat grass.

Actually not a bad spot during the summer, many trees, which provide lots of shade for both man and equine. One question, the caballeros drink coke and agua during the day (no beer) why? My guess is that it would look bad for business, what with leading children on horse back rides and all. Also, I guess they wouldn't want to fall off their horse on the way home. And what's with the sword on the white horse's saddle?

For the most, people speak the Mexican language except for the Huichole Indians who live along the north side of Lake Chapala. The Huichole are a story for another day, interesting people.

In my car I can drive to the Guadalajara Airport in 30 minutes. With a two hour flight I can be in Houston or Dallas, Denver in three.

To answer my original question. Do I live in Mexico? Maybe yes. Maybe no.

Remember, God only gives us a certain number of days. I don't plan on wasting the ones I have left.

Until we talk again.

Mike