Chapala Parque Cristiania: La Alberca

Well, this is certainly a beautiful public pool. In the 5 years I've lived here, it has gone through various stages of clean. From good, bad and worse. It is a really large pool which requires a lot of chorine to be clean. I've been told the city deptartment just doesn't maintain it to par. Fill in the blanks.

Does anyone on this board think there is any hope that the city could be convinced to keep this gorgeous pool safe for the community?

Maybe they could raise the property taxes on the homes in Ajijic?

Maybe they could raise the taxes for all the poor people too, oh wait already did that!

What makes you think it's unsafe? The sliminess factor, especially in the deep end, can change from time to time, but my friends and I have been swimming in that pool for 2 years without ill effect. The locals seem to have no issues with it. We're always amazed there aren't more gringos there. Love that place.

If it is slimy, it isn't properly disinfected.

Just something else the Chapala government does badly.  However, they are very good at raising taxes and disappearing your money leaving absolutely nothing to show for it.

And BTW, your Chapala property taxes are going up more than one third as well. Enjoy the ride.

I was reading TOB about taxes and services. My post was a joke. I guess it was a bad one at that.

Tony_In_Mexico wrote:What makes you think it's unsafe?  The sliminess factor, especially in the deep end, can change from time to time, but my friends and I have been swimming in that pool for 2 years without ill effect.  The locals seem to have no issues with it.  We're always amazed there aren't more gringos there.  Love that place.

I've been enjoying it for 5 years, but it could be cleaner. Swimming in dirty water can cause serious lifetime problems. A close friend of mine was effected. Once it happens, it's real. One summer I saw a tightly wrapped dirty diaper float by.

Playaboy wrote:I was reading TOB about taxes and services.  My post was a joke.  I guess it was a bad one at that.

I thought it was pretty good.

Seems like time for some to return NOB.

I was amazed at the size of that pool, no wonder it is expensive to keep clean. It must require a lot of man hours to keep it from being slimy and green, not to mention the chemical costs. The size of the pool seems to be disproportionate to the people wanting to use it. Whenever I am in the park you need to look for people in the pool areas. I would think a pool a quarter of the size of this one would be large enough. I also was surprised the park did not have a wading pool or spray pool for kids to run through, or did I miss it?

otrocanuck wrote:I was amazed at the size of that pool, no wonder it is expensive to keep clean. It must require a lot of man hours to keep it from being slimy and green, not to mention the chemical costs. The size of the pool seems to be disproportionate to the people wanting to use it. Whenever I am in the park you need to look for people in the pool areas. I would think a pool a quarter of the size of this one would be large enough. I also was surprised the park did not have a wading pool or spray pool for kids to run through, or did I miss it?

The size makes the pool beautiful, but your point is exact: It must cost too much just in chemicals, besides the staff maintaning it. If it were 2 pools, the maintenance might be manageable. 30 pesos a person, the whole Chapala community kids can't do that, but they could run discounts for groups. I've heard they used to have kids swimming lessons there, maybe, 15 years ago. As it is now, something is not working. They have a tiny pool that a waterslide goes into. One day, when the pool was just too dirty, the staff directed me there. Maintaining that pool better? Might not be feasible, logitically and politically. The shallow end always looks relatively clean.

There are alternatives such as Tobolandia or the Lake( Joking). Maybe a "friends of Christiana can be organized?

gm

And there are those of us folks who go to water exercise at The Purple Door in San Juan Cosala on the Lake, 30 p per session, M-W-F 3 to 4, beautiful pool and salt treated so no chlorine smell and it is solar heated. PM me for more info or just show up--go to SJC and turn left at the boulevard with the floats, go down one block to the thermal spa, turn right along the unpaved road until you see The Purple Door on your left. It was too cold and cloudy today, but if you PM me I will let you know when we are actually doing this.

Monte Carlo used to let non-guests use the pool for a fee. I know Christiana is really the only option for locals of lesser economic means.
gm

cristicasa wrote:

otrocanuck wrote:I was amazed at the size of that pool, no wonder it is expensive to keep clean. It must require a lot of man hours to keep it from being slimy and green, not to mention the chemical costs. The size of the pool seems to be disproportionate to the people wanting to use it. Whenever I am in the park you need to look for people in the pool areas. I would think a pool a quarter of the size of this one would be large enough. I also was surprised the park did not have a wading pool or spray pool for kids to run through, or did I miss it?

The size makes the pool beautiful, but your point is exact: It must cost too much just in chemicals, besides the staff maintaning it. If it were 2 pools, the maintenance might be manageable. 30 pesos a person, the whole Chapala community kids can't do that, but they could run discounts for groups. I've heard they used to have kids swimming lessons there, maybe, 15 years ago. As it is now, something is not working. They have a tiny pool that a waterslide goes into. One day, when the pool was just too dirty, the staff directed me there. Maintaining that pool better? Might not be feasible, logitically and politically. The shallow end always looks relatively clean.

There is a shallow kiddy pool, in addition to the slides section (2 slides and a small pool). So, basically 3 different pools. They still do the swimming lessons as well. It's 25 pesos for adults and only 10 pesos for kids to swim. Not sure how much the lessons cost.