Fiesta San Andres

This is the festival of Saint Andrew, the patron saint of Ajijic. These are some pics as we strolled around the plaza this evening. The fireworks start around 11 pm, and will be loud and too close for comfort. A lot of the foreigners leave the area for the beach this week as the noise can be too much for some, especially in the village. This celebration goes on for 8 days and lasts till around 5 am, each day!

Thanksgiving Dinner Alfresco

We decided to join our American ex-pats in their celebration of Thanksgiving Dinner in the warm sunshine of a Mexican afternoon.

Mall Decorations Mexico Style

Here is the Christmas tree in the Galerias Mall, along with the palm trees next to it.

Finalized House Plans

These are the finalized house plans. The backhoe will be out this coming week to start digging the foundations.

The Doors of Ajijic

Here are some interesting looking doors (well to me anyway) on our walk through the village.

Life Long Learning Series

I attended a most interesting lecture given by Dr. Donald Aitken, (www.donaldaitkenassociates.com) Senior Consulting Scientist for the Energy Department of the Union of Concerned Scientists. These lectures are given at the Lake Chapala Society every Sunday morning. It so happened that the lecture this morning was on sustainable energy. We were most fortunate to have Dr. Donald Aitken as the speaker. He has a wealth of knowledge and is actually moving to build an energy efficient house in Ajijic. Where else can you find a place with so many interesting and informative people, with a great climate to boot?

Root Canal

It must be Mexico, since I need another root canal. Just went in today and had it done again! Fortunately the cost is 1500 pesos (about $160 CDN). It took a total of 45 minutes and I survived! I'll be in again on Wednesday to get the crown. Penny needs one too! It's a good thing that the price of dental work is about 1/10 of what it is in Toronto.

Mariachi Night for the Kids

We went to a presentation given for the benefit of the local handicapped children this evening. The singer of the mariachi band was our local neighbour, who also happens to be a dentist by profession. It was followed by a musical presentation by his 4 children, who form a group called the Kristales.

Tonala on our way to Guadalajara

This was our drive to Tonala on our way to Guadalajara. You can see a typical craft store selling its goods. In this case we can see every imaginable size of gazing balls. We also stopped to see the canyon; which is situated behind the prison property. The security guard is riding his Segway, and decided to stop and take a picture with Penny.

The Alien

Went to the car today and found this little guy sunbathing on the hood.

Days of the Dead

Today is November 2, which is the Day of the Dead. Mexicans in the area celebrate the lives of their deceased family members by going to the cemetery and leaving their loved ones their favourite foods and drinks.