Ajijic

hike to waterfall
Ajijic is one of the villages on Lake Chapala, with a very large expat community. There is the Lake Chapala Society, with lessons, clubs, services and activities for anything you can think of. The "social activities" calendar alone had 17 things listed for the week we were there. And although there are so many expats, it still has that "puebla" feel- with cobblestone streets (so the water coming down the mountains in the rainy season soaks into the earth between the cobblestones, preventing floods), church bells ringing, and the occasional caballero on horseback. Ajijic is also at the base of
the Sierra Madres, making for some great hiking.

Tonala, Tlaquepaque

In Guadalajara, there is a "hop on, hop off", double decker, open top (duck the trees!) tour bus that was cheap, easy, and fun. It stopped in Tonala and Tlaquepaque

Tonala Plaza

Tonala Street

Tonala was a great place for shoppers (we're not, but they really had some great stuff for homes). They also had some of the best pozole I've ever had!Tlaquepaque was a bit more "upscale", with a wonderful Bustamante Gallery

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Guadalajara

We spent 5 days in Guadalajara, enjoying the museums (We went to 6 of them!), and churches (too many to count!), and beautiful buildings with Orozco frescoes everywhere, and markets (with great food), and statues, and plazas alive with people enjoying their families, pedestrian only streets, and just the hustle and bustle of a city...

Via Recreativa

People in Guadalara take bicycling seriously. Last Saturday, there was a demonstration by cyclists to protest people getting hit by cars. 

moulage

Closed Road
And every Sunday the city of Guadalajara closes 45 miles of streets to cars, so people can bike, walk, jog, or skate.  The city funds the costs of the Via Recreativa- the use of bikes is free- just get in line, leave an ID, and off you go. They even let us tourists take a bike!

statues

Concerned that I was spending too much time with a man I met in Guadalajara, Manuel tried to flee with a woman in Tlaquepaque- but they didn't get far.

What we'll miss...

Our time in Puerto Vallarta is coming to a close.
There are so many wonderful things about our stay here that it's hard to write them all down, but here are a few of the many things we'll miss about P.V....

-the view from our balcony of Banderas Bay


-the friendly people- expats and natives!

-watching sunsets and thunderstorms from our    balcony


-comida corrida


-picking up mangos that have fallen from the trees

Mary Bolton's yoga class at Yoga Vallarta

Home Sweet Home

-the conversation club at CEPE / Centro de Estudios Para Extranjeros.




Hiking with all the wonderful women of
 Ladies Outdoor Club Adventures P.V. - L.O.C.A.

Hanging nest outside our window         

snorkeling from the shore in front of our condo

-Sunday evening dancing in The Plaza

-the beautiful walk on the beach into town

-the birds!! and waking to their beautiful songs 

Sunset from our balcony