Tarra, Jeff & Aiden

Tarra, Jeff and Aiden arrived even 20 minutes early on Sunday night. However, by the time they got through immigration and customs, it was almost an hour, or almost 10:30 p.m. Barb had a hard time waiting so long. There were a couple of little girls who screamed when their grandparents finally came throught the door. I thought Barb was going to do the same thing. By the time we got home and got Aiden put to bed, it was about 12:30 a.m. Tarra & Jeff had been up since about 2:30 a.m our time! Monday was a bit of a quiet day as they were recuperating. We had purchased a small wading pool, which was a great success with Aiden. We did drive to Chapala and back. Today, they all went to the gardening lecture at LCS and walked around the center of Ajijic a bit. Tonight we went to the Garden Restaurant. There is a large grass area (with grapefruit, lime, mango and banana trees); whenever Aiden got restless, one of us (Jeff especially) would take Aiden for a run. There are 4 peafowl, which were intriguing for Aiden. Maybe at some point, we’ll get Jeff or Tarra to give some of their impressions and reactions to being in Mexico.

Here are a couple of pictures of Aiden. He is extremely photogenic and strikes a model-like pose whenever he knows his picture is being taken. He is so good that it is almost impossible not to keep snapping more and more photos.

To bee or not to bee

Our hummingbird feeder has been taken over by bees. At first there were just a few, but very quickly the number increased. They would go down into the holes for the hummingbirds to stick their beaks in. Then inside, many of them got in the liquid and would float up inside. They were also all around the outside. A couple of the hummingbirds would dart into one of the holes if it was empty, but the big yellow birds when they tried to land, would find the bees swarming around them; they would have to fly off without getting anything. On Thursday by the late afternoon, there were dozens of dead and dying bees inside the feeder as well as large numbers on the outside. We didn’t dare to take it down until night when the bees on the outside had gone. This morning, I emptied out all the dead bees. These bees didn’t seem that agressive in attacking, but many of the bees down here are ‘Africanized’ and can be aggressive, attacking with little provocation, sometimes simply sounds. I don’t know what we will do. Barb found an ad for the “humzinger” hummingbird feeder which claimed that it could keep out bees. Even though we did not have the feeder out today, the bees were still buzzing around. In fact, this evening when we were planning to eat out in the courtyard, 3 bees got into my wine and were rapidly in the process of drowning! I don’t know why because the wine was 13.5% alcohol so there couldn’t be too much sugar in it. We gave up and came inside for dinner.

Barb bought almost a dozen plants on Wednesday along with some compost (again surprisingly inexpensive). Most of these are climbing, flowering vines for along one wall and in front of the 3 large trees in front. Rosendo was digging holes today and Barb planted about 7 or 8. There are a few more to do over the weekend. After about 10 days or so, we finally got a good rain last night and this morning, although bright sunshine by this afternoon. During a break, we were talking to Rosendo. It seems that he spent some time in California as a gardener in the 1980s. He was in Los Angeles and Sacramento. His son-in-law has excellent English so he may have been raised in the US.

We are getting ready for the arrival of Jeff, Tarra and Aiden on Sunday night. They chose to fly with American Airlines because there would be only one stop in Atlanta before coming on to Guadalajara. However, there is a very long delay of about 6 hours in Atlanta. I expect that they will be very tired when they get here. They didn’t have any cribs at LCS when we when for rentals, but they did have a raised, padded playpen that we hope will work as a bed for Aiden. It will be very exciting to have them here.

Music and a movie

We went to the 2nd concert at Viva la Música yesterday. It was a couple who play the guiter and flute. Both teach at the Univ. of Guadalajara Music Department as well as other things. Again, it was very enjoyable. Today we went to a showing of the 1987 movie, “The Mission”, starring Jeremy Irons and Robert de Niro. It was held in the disco lounge behind the Plaza Garden Restaurant on the town square. Apparently, the space used to be a movie theatre, but was converted to a disco dance hall during the last year. This event (the first as a trial) was organized by the writers’ group. There was a discussion of various aspects of the movie afterwards. Because the hall is associated and directly behind the restaurant (you enter by going through the latter), one can order drinks and even food. It started at 11:30 a.m. although the movie did not get under way until about 12. It went until after 2. It was shown from a DVD so that when blown up for a large screen, the quality was not terrific. It was all filmed in various parts of South America with stunning scenery. Also, because of so many echoes, it was difficult at times to understand the dialogue. I enjoyed the movie, but others wanted to show what great critics they are by ‘dising’ it. The writers’ group raises money for scholarships for budding Mexican writers and all the money raised is to go for that purpose. Admission was only 50 pesos/person. They’ll probably do another one.

The Open Circle talk yesterday was about the experience of a retreat in Buddhist monestaries. I had expected not to like it very much. However, it was interesting and the lecturer was very good and funny. He has been a teacher of yoga and meditation for many years, but he was not super serious. He said that he had never been interested in being a monk; monks were crazy people. He in fact had a very interesting career as writer and producer for TV. He was very firm about not reading more into meditation than was really there. When asked about chanting, he said that it was useful in clearing the mind of distracting thoughts, but not to do it for too long. Chanting for too long could make you crazy. About mantras, he said that the root words meant simply ‘controlling the mind’. He said not to read any more into it than that; it was not a kind of abracadabra or magic. Reading all the Buddhist scriptures did not help you in a retreat because there it was just you alone with yourself. Coming to terms with that was something you had to do on your own. Anyway, it was refreshing not to have someone gushing and breathless; I am usually convinced that there is a lot less than meets the eye with people who are dewy eyed.

Yesterday, we went to a different restaurant, Ninette. It is a bit more expensive than many other restaurants in Ajijic, but the food was absolutely delicious. There are still so many restaurants we have not yet visited.

Spanish Conquest

I have read the history of Mexico that Matt and Angie bought for me. It is very interesting, even though it is very concise. Some of the history of the Spanish conquest (1519 and after) and its aftermath are really amazing. The Spanish were very few in number compared to the estimated 25 million Indian population. The Spanish were successful for a couple of reasons. The Spanish had both guns and horses, but Aztec weapons were pretty good also. The main reason is that the Aztec Empire was in a period of weakness with many of the conquered Indian peoples anxious to overthrow Aztec domination. They joined the Spanish in defeating the Aztecs. The latter were also being weakened by disease epidemics (especially small pox) recently introduced by the Spanish. However, the aftermath is even more amazing. With the use of irrigation and intensive agriculture, the Indian population was already pretty much reaching the maximum sustainable size when the Spanish arrived. The Spanish came from a society more devoted to cattle keeping, not intensive agriculture and massive irrigation. During the next 100 years approximately, the population suffered an incredible decline, estimated to be about 95%, from 25 million to just under 2 million. The combination of diseases and failure to maintain irrigation works created a vicious cycle of population collapse and reducing food production. There are a couple of facts which balance the record a bit--poetic justice. It is pretty well accepted that the Spanish brought back syphilis to Europe from the western hemisphere; certainly, Europe was hit by massive epidemics of very virulent strains of syphilis in the decades following the ‘discovery’ of the new world. The 2nd fact is that Cortes never received the royal rewards that he worked for. He had enemies at court in Spain. When he returned to Spain in later years, he was subjected to a great deal of litigation and died in poverty in 1547. There are other interesting aspects of Mexican history that I’ll relate in future posts.

We have had almost no rain all week. It is very threatening this evening, but so far no rain. This afternoon, we went to Barbara’s Bazaar; it is an antiques & 2nd hand furniture and household goods store. It is located right next door to where Kate & Jack were renting last year. We bought a long cabinet (about 77 inches) plus 2 small end cabinets for the living room. They were asking 8,500 pesos for the cabinet and 3,200 for the 2 cabinets; Barb offered 10,000 pesos for all 3 and it was accepted. They are to be delivered tomorrow. They even included delivery (usually 50 pesos). Most prices are negotiable in Mexico. Barb was a bit nervous to be doing this, but delighted with the result.

The search for good sandals

Hardly any rain last night and it’s been sunny all day. Yesterday, we went in to Guadalajara and Costco for the first time in over a month (66 kms each way). We were low on wine; they have cases of 6 bottles of Chilean wines for $4 - 5 per bottle. We did buy other things. While there we went to the Mega supermarket. In addition to groceries, almost half the store is given over to appliances, furniture, some hardware, clothing, etc. (i.e., like Wal-Mart). One interesting feature was at the front, they had 2 identical carts of groceries and were claiming that the cost in their store was about 20% less than at Wal-Mart, which has a big store just across the street. This is of interest because they are building a huge Wal-Mart just 3 or 4 blocks from us. It is going up very fast and is supposed to open in September. That will provide competition for the 2 small supermarkets already here. Some of the other ex-pats in my Spanish class were speaking very disparagingly of Wal-Mart’s intrusion into Ajijic. For many of the ex-pats, Wal-Mart is one of the things they hoped to leave behind.

Barb is trying to replace a pair of sturdy, but worn, sandals which she finds best for walking on the cobblestones. We were at the vet’s when she spotted what looked like an excellent pair on a woman. The latter said that she got them in the US, so no help there. She told us about a small mall in Guadalajara which has nothing but shoe stores. It is not far off the route to Costco, etc. so we went and got there without a wrong turn! It is true; there must be over 30 stores, and except for a couple that carry purses and accessories, all were shoe stores. Although a few had jogging shoes and sneakers, most were of dress shoes. Also, except for a couple of stores, all the offerings were of inexpensive shoes; there was nothing at all like she is looking for. The brand she has are fairly pricey. Today, she is calling all the shoe stores in HRM to see if she can find the same brand. She will then have Jeff bring them down when he comes in less than 2 weeks.

We finally bought a small microwave today; there are some things that are much easier and faster to do in a microwave. We decided that we didn’t want to put off the purchase any longer. I bought it at a little appliance store just 2 kms or so towards Chapala. I checked again yesterday in Costco and Mega; the one we got here (Panasonic) is better and cheaper than what was available at either Costco or Mega in Guadalajara.

Windsor, Ont. and back

I had to make some arrangements regarding my father’s financial affairs and made a short trip to Windsor, Ont., July 8-12. Because Barb can’t drive in Mexico until we get the car ownership changed to joint ownership (only spouses and children of an owner are allowed to drive the car in Mexico; Barb does not qualify in Mexico), I have to take a taxi to and from the airport in Guadalajara. Getting the car ownership changed to joint in December when we are in Nova Scotia is easier than getting married in Mexico!

The trip was completed without incident and on schedule. I thought for a time that I would not make the connection in Houston as the plane was late getting into Detroit. However, the crew was able to make up enough time that I was able to make the connection to Guadalajara. The flight from Houston was interesting because there was excellent visibility. What struck me was how many mountain ranges there are between the border and Guadalajara.

In Windsor, we had a get together (about 25 people) to recognize my Dad's 92nd birthday on July 9th; it was more sad than a celebration because my Dad hardly recognizes anyone. He decided that he wouldn't eat anything and didn't. It was certainly driven home that the proper place for him at this stage is in the nursing home. I did get to see quite a few relatives and friends even in the short period of 4 days. Nevertheless, it was very good to get home. Barb and Bijou were waiting at the front gate as the taxi brought me home!

While I was gone, there was very heavy rain. The Guadalajara English weekly has several stories of the flooding and damage caused by the unusually heavy rain. It seems to be more normal now--sun in the day with some showers at night. Barb said that most north/south streets (coming down the mountain) were more rivers than streets. That certainly included the one that comes down to the corner of our house. While we had several indoor leaks during the deluge, we did not suffer any damage.

The speaker at Open Circle today was a woman who practices healing through sound. She had a number of bells, tuning forks, etc. She combines it with acupuncture. The topic was quite interesting, but unfortunately, she was not very well organized as a speaker. After, we tried another new-to-us restaurant on the Carreterra (main highway) beside the El Torrito supermarket. They have a Sunday brunch buffet for 70 pesos. However, we chose from the menu--eggs for Barb and a Mexican dish for me. Even with large glasses of fresh squeezed orange juice, the total was 93 pesos ($9.40 or so). There are so many restaurants and we like trying new ones; we haven’t hit a bad one yet.

Water, water

We had a big rainstorm during the night. It was still drizzling this morning, but we got ready to go to Open Circle anyway and it had stopped just before we started out a few minutes before 10. However, because of the rain, Open Circle was held inside. They said that that happens only rarely. The speaker was an artist and a bit of a character. He was very excited about a book which asserts that many health problems (asthma, high blood pressure, reflux, etc.) are often caused because the body is dehydrated. Everyone should drink at least 2 litres of water (pop, coffee, tea, etc. don’t count) each day (more if you are a big person). I thought that there might be many people who would be a bit dubious, not that water is not good for you, but about some of the more far-reaching claims being made. However, his talk was very disorganized so that during the question period, some of the members of the audience were filling in things that they thought he should have included; obviously, they are into the same idea that he is. He gave a website ( Water Cure) and I’m going to check out some of the claims and the proofs given. Barb thinks that I should be drinking more water so perhaps she’s right. However, of more interest perhaps was the fellow himself. He did not have any notes so that his comments rambled all over the place, stories about himself and his family, etc. Some of it was quite funny. At one point, on the subject of water, he was talking about Lake Chapala. He has lived here for about 8 - 9 years. When he arrived, the level of the lake was way down and falling. He claimed that the level was so low that they had buses to take people from the pier in Chapala out to where the water was, it was so far out! The water is now up to the pier and there are even small, flat boats that will take you out to a couple of the islands in the lake. I guess this history is why there is so much interest in the water level and the continuing rise.

A couple who sat beside us and talked for a few minutes before Open Circle got under way said that Lake Chapala moderates the temperature here by about 10 degrees compared to Guadalajara--i.e., 10 degrees cooler in the hot weather and 10 degrees warmer in the winter. An interesting fact if accurate. By the way, by noon, the sky was clear and it was sunny again.

July 4th in Ajijic

I think that I may have mentioned this before, but it bears repeating. Our Gringo stereotype of Mexicans is that they do things slowly and continually put off things until “mañana”. That is not my experience, nor of Cathy and Gary. Just 2 more examples: on Monday just before noon, I went in to Telmex to report that our land phone was not working (the internet still was). Just after 3 p.m, the repairman showed up and repaired things in about half an hour. When I was at Z Gas filling the BBQ tank on Tuesday, I asked about home delivery for the big tank for cooking and heating water. It has been going down after about 7 weeks. The young woman took our address and said that they would be there in about 2 hours and they were.

We are getting onto how to do some things here, but one big gap is our land telephone. Our cell phones are ok because they can be set to give instructions in English, although busy signals or no answer brings Spanish. However, our land phone is more difficult. We haven’t figured out how to retrieve voice messages. The telephone book gives instructions on how to get into voice mail--dial *86 (it’s in Spanish, but I can read it with the help of an English-Spanish dictionary). However, once in, one is greeted with a flood of Spanish instructions, probably a menu of different choices. Guessing, I managed to delete at least one message unheard, from Barb’s doctor! The Telmex office does have a telephone help line for English speakers. That is how I reported our line not working. I’ll try to see if I can get some instructions on how to access and handle voice messages.

We got Barb’s 2 hibiscus shrubs planted and she has been busy transplanting plants out of planters into the ground or from one pot into another. I am trying to tell her that she has years to do the gardening; everything does not have to be done this summer. However, I’m kind of rowing upstream with that one.

We are currently hearing a lot of firecrackers going off; it is coming form the direction of the lake. It may well be associated with July 4th as there are a lot of Americans and there were some celebrations planned. It isn’t just Mexicans who are fond of fireworks, although these are at about 9 p.m., not midnight or 6 a.m.

Canada Day

On Monday, Rosendo, Barb & I potted the 2nd butterfly palm so that we now have a pair. Although there are already 3 or 4 bougainvilleas along the inside, front wall, Barb wanted to fill in more. She got 2 more (again 55 pesos each) and Rosendo planted them. Some time in the future the entire wall should be one big mass. The flowers are a bright, almost fuchsia, colour. Later, in the afternoon, we went and got 2 more planter pots, same shape and style as the pots for the palms, but quite a bit smaller. These are for the 2 hybiscus bushes Barb bought last week. This should be the end for a while. Barb is still deciding how she wants to do the gardening. She already is planning to dig up grass along the walls to make garden. I tell her not to rush; she has years to do this and she shouldn’t get it all done and have nothing to do. However, she has a good space both in front and in back of the house inside the walls, plus a big area in front outside the wall.

The BBQ turned into a saga. On Monday, late in the day, the people who sold us the BBQ finally said that they had not been able to get the tanks filled; the tanks have to be taken to the Z Gas distribution center about 5 or 6 kms on the other side of Chapala. They said it would probably be next Monday because they are tied up with a big move. In the evening, they delivered the empty tank so that we could get it filled ourselves; they assure us that they usually have filled tanks which we can exchange for our empty tank in future. Today, following instructions, we managed to find the place (it is about a km off the highway and away from everything in case there is an accident and explosion). Anyway, we did get the tank filled and Barb is very excited to be able to BBQ. We stopped in the Oriano supermarket in Chapala and got a piece of salmon. We haven’t seen the latter anywhere in Ajijic, although we haven’t gone to one of the fish stores.

On this Canada Day, the local Canadian Club is holding a dinner with entertainment in the Nueve Posada. However, we did not get tickets; perhaps another year. Happy Canada Day to everyone.