Remember Ted was telling us about that volcano in Mexico blowing when he was down there on his excellent adventure (click link below for the posts)? Well, it's still rumbling. The media's starting to pump up the story, calling it the "fire volcano" and using photos such as the one above, which was a time-lapse photo taken over a 4-minute span. We'll have to keep our eye on this one.

Ted's Excellent Adventure, at least part one, is coming to a close. As you know, if you've been following the posts - click link below - Ted recently retired and headed down to Mexico to check it out as a possible retirement destination.
Ted ended up buying a condo. He thinks it will be a good investment. He's going to have some work done on it, then probably rent it out. He may sell it in a couple of years if the real estate market in Chapala, where it's located, continues its redhot run.

Property values there have skyrocketed in recent years, according to Ted, due in no small part to the resurgence of Lake Chapala. It had once been nearly drained, but it's made a comeback. The climate is great, and there's quite a community of "gringos" like Ted.
So Ted will return stateside and decide his next move. He made some friends I'm sure he'll keep in touch with, and who will keep in touch with us. Stay tuned.

Here's more from Ted on his impressions of the Chapala region of Mexico, which he has been exploring this month.

These beautiful photographs are courtesy of Steve Miller, used with his permission. Check out his great work here.

Ted's impressions:
This is a tourist town with a lake. This crates a certain dynamic in the mix of people. Some are local and some are just passing through. Some are here because they are touring and some are here because of the other one; some shops are strictly tourist oriented.

As in any tourist place the locals curse the extra traffic and at the same time they are making a living from the visitors shopping in their stores. It's a love/hate relationship. This, also goes to the Retired Foreign Community of Americans and Canadians that have settled here. The retires have time to sit around and pretend they are locals.
Being a local gives you complaining rights about the tourists. At the same time they brag about the weather and the beauty. It's a crazy kind of ecosystem that swirls around and feeds off each other. Retirees want to be here for the affordable real estate and rentals; low cost living conditions that allow them to have a little extra at the end of the month.

Due to the altitude and, I guess the lake, the temperatures are moderate. It gets hot during the day but the humidity is so low you don't notice it as much and nights are cool. There hasn't been any rain since I got here at the beginning of the month. But I understand that a rainy season will start in June. People look forward to it because it has a cleansing effect and the mountains green-up.
This month the air has been filled with a lot of smoke due to farming practices that burn of old grasses before plowing and planting. The rain will clear things up. The rains also bring some kind of thrill for those that enjoy thunder boomers. Apparently, the storms can pretty spectacular. For those who get the beejesus scared out of you at the first clap of thunder, you may want to take this into account when planning a trip here.
I guess I'll sit back and enjoy a sunny Sunday in the Mountain Lake Community of
Chapala, Jalisco Mexico.
Ciao, Ted

Some of you have been closely watching Ted's adventures in the Chapala region of Mexico. He retired a month or so ago and decided to head south to check things out. Here's some of what he's experienced:

Danger
Yes. I had some concerns. I could play it very 'Macho' and say something like, "Danger is my middle name". But, I'm not that way except as a joke.

Seriously, I think it's a healthy, logical, normal, concern. I might add wise, as well. You should think through the worst case scenarios and have some kind of plan in mind of what to do in case of an emergency. Like, "OK, gringo, give me all your money!" Make a note of local emergency numbers, police, fire, etc. And, write down, in Spanish, your best phrase for, "Help me! I do not speak Spanish. I am located at ..."
Then, ask if anyone there speaks English and try to get them any other details that are important to the situation. Think about where you are going and how to get there and back. Planning is everything. Take normal precautions, like not flashing a lot of money. Separate your money in different pockets or compartments of you carrying bags, so if one is taken you will still have a few bucks tucked away in your shoe or someplace.

Mostly it's common sense. Oh yeah, you may want to ask the locals for some tips when you get there. They're usually willing to tell you where not to go and who not to get to close to.

Motivation for the trip

As you've said before, it's primarily money.

Attitude toward Americans
Mixed! We all can help by being better visitors. Learn about the culture you are visiting and respect their right to live the way they live. Don't be an ugly American and wave money around and or make a comment about "how cheap" everything is in front of the locals. It's kind of insulting, don't you think?

Try the language, even if you are awful at it. It's an old adage but the locals really do like it when they see you are trying. If they laugh at you, join in. Be a little humble, it's worth it. The result is you get a lot of help.

Just walking around I have seen some looks and heard a couple of blah, blah, blah, Americano, but I like to think they are saying, "My, that's a handsome American." In fact I'm pretty sure a couple of them have been derogatory but they don't all love us, that's for sure.
If you are out and about walking the local streets you may get a boozed up tuff guy who speaks his mind. "Gringo go home." It's pretty rare but it does happen. Some of the Americans I have met
here have the perfect come back. "I am home. I live here."

Photos by Ted. Looking good!

Ted's excellent adventure recently led him into the village of Ajijic, not far from neighboring Chapala, Ted's home base.
Steve ran into Ted there and provided these photos, which are way cool. Go to Steve's Web site to see more.

Ted was checking out the market in Ajijic. Looks like he was having a good time exploring.

Ajijic still sleeps, despite the onslaught of tourists. At least that's what I've read. Here's a nice description I picked up while surfing a little while ago:
A half-hour south of Guadalajara at driving speeds paced to dodge potholes and wandering cows, burros, or goats, the pastel village with its sugar- white, butter-yellow-trimmed central church has been ignored by major resort developers. Even though Ajijic and neighbouring Chapala, Jocotepec, and San Juan Cosala sit beside Mexico's biggest lake, Lake Chapala, there are no sweeping beaches here. The lakeshore ranges from swampy to submerged, depending on the season.

But the lake it serves as weather control, exerting a moderating influence on the microclimate. This hollow in surrounding mountain ranges and high plateaus possesses the second-most temperate climate in the world, say locals-- next only to Kenya, they add proudly.It seldom drops below sixty degrees Fahrenheit. It never soars to the flesh- steaming high heat of Puerto Vallarta in July or August.

And just a little bit more description:
There is a lot that is very good here, if you like a form of serenity that settles on your shoulders and soaks into your bones. A dozen artists' studios and galleries dot village streets. Some are local-born, others imported gringos who've "gone native." The villas or condos around the villages now line the lake's north shore almost to Jocotepec at the west end before the road loops around to the south side, where more villages, small local communities of fishers, artisans, and farm workers, dot the lakeshore.

Sounds like a great place.

If you've been keeping up with Ted's excellent adventure, you'll know that Ted met Steve Miller, a sharp photographer and freelancer. They met up in the Lake Chapala area, and Steve has been dropping notes and generally keeping in touch.

If you haven't done it yet, you need to check out his Web site, where you'll see samples of his photography. You can also join in the discussion on his great site.

Here in Ashvegas, we have a local chain of Mexican restaurants named "El Chapala." When Ted was here in Ashvegas not long ago (before embarking on his excellent adventure), he popped in and talked to the folks in one of the restaurants. They confirmed that they were indeed from the Chapala area, and they had a mural of the lake painted on their restaurant wall.

On a related note, here's Steve:
I wonder if your local "El Chapala" restaurant owners know that there is a special hot sauce sold _here named after the town of Chapala and the lake. I use it all the time as a better and tastier alternative to Tabasco.

I was just in Chapala an hour ago. Soriena opened a huge grocery store there. It's on par with most U.S. grocery chains in size. Not as big as a Super WalMart, though, but very nice with lots of great brands, including many items imported from the USA.

I especially like the deli and the bakery sections. There is even a mini-food court. Maybe I'll take some photos next time.

Steve, thanks for the update.

Steve, the photographer in Mexico, who I mentioned in an earlier post (remember - you can click on the link at the bottom of a post to read a thread - in this case, Ted's Excellent Adventure), sent me a note today. Here's a taste:

I've retired a bit early at 51 years when I moved down here over two years ago. Weather here is outstanding among many other benefits. Doctors, Dentists, clinics, and hospitals get rave reviews from seniors living here. I'm a motorcycle rider and ride all over Mexico taking photos and meeting people. I love the weather, food and mostly the friendly people. Have you been here?

Steve's got a great Web site here. Check it out.
Steve suggests this online forum for people interested in learning more about the area.
I've never been to Mexico. I'd love to visit. Not sure if I could live there, though.