What I have learned this trip down

- Ajijic has been cleaned up a lot since this time last year. Kudos to the gringo volunteers who have been helping to keep it that way. Chapala and some of the other burbs needs to do the same thing.

- The traffic has steadily increased every year. Going along the careterra, from about Walmart to the other side of Ajijic is a snails pace on most days even throughout the week and after the snowbirds have apparently gone. Hopefully they continue that Joco bypass all the way through to the libremento one day.

- We have been coming down every year for 5 years (4 - 6 weeks at a time) and have rented various houses in Chapala, San Juan Cosala, West Ajijic & East Ajijic. One of the houses was waterfront, one was up the side of the mountain (El Limon) and two were in the core of Chapala and Ajijic. We still haven't fully decided what we will want when we come down FT next year. We do know that a lake view & lake breeze will be mandatory. We also know that with the ever increasing traffic on the caraterra we would want to be somewhere between Chapala and East Ajijic so we don't have to cross Ajijic to go most places. We will probably prefer the north side of the caraterra where the views are more prominent (unless we can find lakefront or something in one of the villages with a high, cool mirador). We are thinking, the hills just outside Chapala, Chula Vista, Upper La Floresta or upper East Ajijic. We will still rent for at least a year or so once we are down (maybe forever). If we were to buy I would be inclined to find a place that is for sale and try to do a lease to own deal with an "out clause" so if you don't like it after a year you can walk away. If you do like it you can purchase and have a portion of your payments go towards the sale price.

- Housing prices seem to be down 10% to 20% especially with new listings. This is the first year I have noticed lower prices since the economic crash. Seems to be a delayed reaction which is to be expected. I suspect this trend is going to continue for at least the next two years and maybe longer if the "bad press" about Mexico continues.

- The prices on most things has increased. This could be due to the increase in the IVA. I know cigarettes have gone from 280 to 350 per pack.

- And...............we haven't been killed, injured or taken hostage by any Cartel guys nor seen anything that could be remotely construed as suspicious or illegal.

The congestion on that narrow section of flat land next to the lake .... and now into Jocotepec is what turned me off. They won't ever build a "bypass" on the hillside further than San Juan Cosala.

Chapala is a zoo as a weekend getaway tho nice away from the beach in some areas.

Joco is almost acceptable but the Municipio won't spend money where it's needed and that 3 lane highway to Guad is a joke. 1000 Infonavit type houses between there and San Juan Cosala. Give me a break!

Small town on the beach sounds much better even if we are growing

Bob, have you always been here for Semana Santa? After next week the traffic will be much less. BTW, there are still many snowbirds here, but come May 1 adios! I call the period between 1 May and 31 October "Canadian Savings Time."

[quote="David"]Bob, have you always been here for Semana Santa? After next week the traffic will be much less. BTW, there are still many snowbirds here, but come May 1 adios! "quote]

That´s not a bad point, David. If one came to San Cristóbal de Las Casas only during Semana Santa the town would seem to be a vastly overcrowded zoo with huge traffic jams and zero parking anywhere. Wait a week or so from now and the town will be, if not deserted, at least more civilized. When we return to Ajijic in mid-May we will not be concerned about the traffic on the carretera, first of all because it will be far less crowded and, second of all, because we know our way through back village streets either on the lake or mountain sides and the minute we spot a hang up we traverse the boonies. There used to be a time when we could cross town, or to be more correct, drive all the way from San Juan Cosalá to La Floresta on the then exposed lakefront beach in Dawg´s pickup but those days are gone with the wind.

We've been here for the months of February, March, April and October. I've always understood that the snowbirds start departing around April 1. Regardless of the month this is the most traffic we have ever seen down here. Especially during the first two weeks of April. I understand the last two weeks would be hectic with the late Easter this year but really not much busier than the first two weeks. Just my observations........

It seems to me - I live in San Juan Cosala - that there are far more Guadalajarans coming lakeside now than a few years ago. I pass the row of fish restaurants and they are packed with cars and there are almost twice as many restaurants as three years ago when I moved to San Juan. The snow birds start leaving in April but it gets much more quiet in May through October.

Semana Santa is one of the biggest holidays in Mexico. Several specialist doctors have cancelled appointments I made for a friend, and my gastroenterologist is in Puerto Vallarta for two weeks. In other words, if there is a nice place to go holy week, they are going, and lakeside is it for many Mexican families. I too know all the back streets when there is a clog on the highway, I use them instead. Only problem is now that Dawg told everyone about it, the side roads will be clogged also.

Semana Santa is THE biggest holiday, and yes there are more Tapatios visiting on the weekends. Some of the traffic problem is created by the traffic lights in La Floresta. Regardless, I've seen bad traffic and this ain't it! A mild annoyance at best. We too have learned the back ways to get around.

Yes, those new lights in La Floresta could definitely be a factor here. We too take the back roads whenever we can.

sparks wrote:Small town on the beach sounds much better even if we are growing

Or hang out in that town during the winter and the lake in the summer when that town gets too hot............

Having lived and driven in places like Los Angeles and San Francisco.......what do you guys know from traffic? Hah.

The increased flow of people from Guad and elsewhere can be pretty easily attributed to the higher lake level than back when. Dining in a fish restaurant on the mud flats doesn't have the same cachet as dining next to a lake. Plus, there are all those new little dwellings popping up on the west side.

My solution for Semana Santa? Stock up on necessities and HIDE. I sure wouldn't be driving to the overcrowded beaches.

Hehe......apparently you haven't been to Vancouver.

Hongcouver is definitely up there. But few places con equal So Cal. I had a 23 mi. commute. Average commute time was 1 1/2 hrs. (Long Beach to Newport Beach.)

sparks wrote:.

Joco is almost acceptable but the Municipio won't spend money where it's needed and that 3 lane highway to Guad is a joke. 1000 Infonavit type houses between there and San Juan Cosala. Give me a break!

Sparks blessed us with his presence for a short period during the last particularly corrupt administration. There has been much infrastructure improvement in the municipo since he skeedaddled back to the beach to live in a place that's a glorified suana most of the year. Those of us that live in Joco wouldn't live anywhere else...the best malicon on the lake, 45 minues to Costco, & when the 3 lane highway to Guad is finished it will be even better. He is hardly an authority on Jocotepec.

Chapala has been fairly quiet this last weekend and into this week. Still lots of traffic during the day. I have heard that some of the people from Guadalajara, especially in the Zapopan area, have been moving down lakeside with their families and commuting up to Guad for work. Not sure whether that is true or not, but I have heard it from a few different people (only one of which was a gringo). I notice that prices are cheaper here in Chapala than in Ajijic. I've also noticed that prices are cheaper depending on who is working. The more that people are recognizing that I actually live down here, the less they are overcharging me. Still significantly cheaper on food in Guadalajara, though.

It's quiet because Bob left.

Well in the words of the great Arnold Schwarzenegger:

I'LL BE BAAACK...........

So will the Snowbirds. You'll come to be happy when they leave. Summer is the best time here; no snowbirds, no Mexican Holidays, perfect weather, no dust and everything is green! Oh, and no crowded restaurants.

I kind of like the Mexican holidays. At least they aren't commercialized like holidays in the US are. Here it is just celebrating, no pressure to buy, buy, buy.

But the no crowded restaurants makes me happy. I love going out to eat, but when a place is too crowded or there is too much noise, it is an unpleasant experience for me. I like to relax when I eat.

I enjoy the Mexican Holidays too, but a few months without any is good too.

Perfect and then maybe we'll head to Chiapas in the winters to hang out with the Dawg or over to a quiet part of the coast and hang out with the sailfish.....