Gringa killed?

Has anyone heard anything about a Gringa getting killed at the Chapala Pier yesterday?

No, what gives? Haven't heard anything. Death from misadventure or natural causes?

A friend who lives in San Nicholas just emailed me and said that a gringa had been shot and killed during a robbery today on the Chapala Pier. Now maybe it's actually the man who was shot in his garage and the story got warped. I don't know. just thought someone else might know for sure.

I recall hearing something about it as well as the taxi guy killed but the taxi guy was involved in bad things so that is the risk of those involved, didn't ask much more about the gringa.

If another gringo got killed does that mean John in Ajijic will knock another 20 grand off his asking price or was that just a coincidence?
Chris

Well if he knocks another 20 grand he will at least respect a price point. Not necessaraly the right one but a price point nevertheless....

Brigitte

kipissippi wrote:Has anyone heard anything about a Gringa getting killed at the Chapala Pier yesterday?

Well, if that is true added to the brazen killing of an elderly expat in his home garage in one of the nicest parts of Ajijic and recent home invasions and assaults in some other very nice sections of Ajijic to say nothing of a number of violent crimes involving the local community, things are indeed going down hill rapidly at Lakeside. Good timing on that advertised open house on four homes in Roca Azul. This place is beginning to remind me of the United States with all of this violent crime. Dawg might just have stayed in violence plagued Mobile, Oakland or San Francisco. Maybe I can convince my old friend from the Alabama coast who retired in the New Orleans Garden District back in 2001, only to flee that crime ridden city a few years late for small town Alabama, to trade his home on Bon Secour Bay just outside of Pensacola for a nice home on Lake Chapala in beautiful Mexico. One nice thing here in Mexico is most of us expats don´t have mortgages so, unless we are overinvested in a home as some are around here, we can just stay put until things calm down if, indeed, things ever do calm down.

As for leaving for the United States to avoid violence, that´s a fool´s errand if there ever was one. Reminds me of APPOINTMENT IN SAMARRA:

This manservant of a wealthy Baghdad merchant came to him one morning trembling in fear and implored him to allow him to immediately leave Baghdad and go to Samarra. The merchant inquired as to the reason for this urgent need for his manservant to go to Samarra and the manservant responded that, only that morning while he was visiting the souk, he had spotted the Devil staring at him intensely and if he was not allowed to leave Baghdad immediately he would surely die a terrible death. The merchant was touched and allowed his manservant to immediately leave for Samarra. Later that day, the merchant himself was visiting the souk and also encountered the Devil whom he immediately admonished for having frightened his manservant out of his wits by staring at him with seeming evil intent. The Devil was taken aback by this confrontation and responded to the merchant that he truly regretted having frightened his manservant so but that he had, in fact, been staring at his manservant in astonishment at having seen him at the souk in Baghdad. " You see¨" continued the Devil, "I was simply quite surprised to see him here in Baghdad as I have an appointment with him tomorrow in Samarra."

Who knows who, with evil intent, awaits the arrival of refugees fleeing Lake Chapala in the United States or Canada. As for Dawg, I think I´ll just leave for serene Chiapas but only because the season for going there approaches anyway - not because I actualy think it is safer.

I haven't heard anymore about who it was? Did it actually happen Spencer? Or was it just a someone said that someone said that somebody's cousin's maid's brother said..........

Didn't happen apparently.

John is leaving town?????

He's not going to like what houses around here can be sold for these days. Old timers tell me it reminds them of when the lake was so low and people stopped coming. This could be worse because no amount of rain is going to green up the RE market in the U.S. or most of Europe anytime soon. And the Canucks are living on borrowed time.

Lakeside sure has changed since I was first visited in the 70s. No more sleepy little towns...

I came across an article in a Nat Geo Traveler from a few years ago entitled "México! 50 Great Discoveries."
San Carlos came in at number 15... described as ' A Faded but Striking Glory"... (and I like it that way)

What surprised me was that there was no mention of Lakeside at all... no Chapala, no Ajijic, nothing.
They did mention Tlaquepaque, SMA made it in. and Guad got mentioned for inventing a cocktail called "La Paloma". Lizzy

My first visit lakeside was in 1971 and I can tell ya why there was no mention of Chapala or Ajijic, there was nothing worth mentioning.

Mainecoons wrote:And the Canucks are living on borrowed time.

Gotta agree with you Maines. That is why we just sold our home in Vancouver a few months ago to cash out at the peak. I have felt that the Lake properties are/were way overpriced so we are renting, however, maybe there could be some opportunities coming soon that can't be resisted...........

Mainecoons wrote:Didn't happen apparently.

John is leaving town?????

He's not going to like what houses around here can be sold for these days. Old timers tell me it reminds them of when the lake was so low and people stopped coming. This could be worse because no amount of rain is going to green up the RE market in the U.S. or most of Europe anytime soon. And the Canucks are living on borrowed time.

All this from a guy who said the tough times were only going to last a few months.

Yup, sure got that one wrong. You never do that, eh?

Prices are coming down steadily here, Bob. Particularly for the less well located and prepared stuff. But if we had it to do over, we'd rent just for the flexibility. What is a shocker is how much those high prices have come down where my brother lives in San Clemente. He sold his house two years ago, equivent properties are selling there now for 40 percent less.

A lot of Canadians seem to be buying distressed U.S. sunbelt stuff these days, such as Florida. I suppose that works if you only spend 6 months per year there. Know anyone doing this?

[up the RE market in the U.S. or most of Europe anytime soon. And the Canucks are living on borrowed time.
[/quote]quote="Mainecoons"]Didn't happen apparently.
John is leaving town?????
He's not going to like what houses around here can be sold for these days. Old timers tell me it reminds them of when the lake was so low and people stopped coming. This could be worse because no amount of rain is going to green

Most of Europe, MC? Dawg can tell you unequivacally that Dawg and Dawgett would be retired in Paris today if it weren´t for the impossible cost of living and housing in that city and Dawg is not referring to ther 16th Arrondisement or exclusive Neully. Well, maybe the winter cliimate would also come into play. While home prices in places such as Spain and, maybe the U.K.have taken a dive, an apartment iin Paris the size of your bedroom closet would buy you a mansion here at Lakeside assuming you could find an apartment in Paris to buy with your discounted dollars.

I´m sure you agree that we are lucky live here in paradise despite the crime.

Well I still feel lucky, yup.

I suppose I should have mentioned in that post I just made that, given the situation at Lakeside now, were I retiring today, I would not move here. Rather, I would consider Cartegena or The Dominican Republic or, perhaps Bogotá or Medillin. Life is so confusing. Maybe Cape Verde. No, too many Brits.

Dawg considered Pass Christian, Bayou La Batre and Cozumel back in 2000 when trying to choose a place to retire but chose Lakeside instead. Now all those places have been subsequently blown away by hurricanes so, what the hell, I guess we did alright.

hound dog wrote:I suppose I should have mentioned in that post I just made that, given the situation at Lakeside now, were I retiring today, I would not move here. Rather, I would consider Cartegena or The Dominican Republic or, perhaps Bogotá or Medillin. Life is so confusing. Maybe Cape Verde. No, too many Brits.

Dawg considered Pass Christian, Bayou La Batre and Cozumel back in 2000 when trying to choose a place to retire but chose Lakeside instead. Now all those places have been subsequently blown away by hurricanes so, what the hell, I guess we did alright.

In Cartegena, you would not need a personal security guard for your home now?

Having traveled in Colombia to 3 different regions when it was not considered safe to travel by car, we flew, & stayed in both private homes as well as rented an apartment in Cartegena, I find that our area is still safer than in those days (2003). When we were flying home to the US, the person sitting next to me wanted to know what we were doing there as we could have been kidnapped? Although the activity is unsettling here, it is not as dangerous here as it was in Colombia. We haven't even considered hiring a private security guard at this point. Is this where we are headed as a community? We have no plans of leaving.

Cartagena is beautiful and my fav vacation spot in Colombia. Girls aren't as hot as Medellin but all the paisas with $$$ go there Semana Santa so you get the best of both worlds.

Mainecoons wrote:Yup, sure got that one wrong. You never do that, eh?

Prices are coming down steadily here, Bob. Particularly for the less well located and prepared stuff. But if we had it to do over, we'd rent just for the flexibility. What is a shocker is how much those high prices have come down where my brother lives in San Clemente. He sold his house two years ago, equivent properties are selling there now for 40 percent less.

A lot of Canadians seem to be buying distressed U.S. sunbelt stuff these days, such as Florida. I suppose that works if you only spend 6 months per year there. Know anyone doing this?

Yes, I have a few friends with vacation property in Phoenix (5 bd, 5 bth, pool, 3 car garage, 7 year old house cost $170,000).

Who said Canadians are on borrowed time? Number one son says it's crazy up there and he's in the business.

OK, forget Colombia. How about Venezuela. Oops! Rampant crime including kidnappings, etc. OK, Capetown. No, once again, too many Brits. How about Havana for a 1957 Ford Fairlane in good running condition and an apartment in Old Havana plus daiquiries and Cuban sammiches. I considered Buenas Aires but understand they dress up to go out to dinner so that´s out. I guess all that´s left is Marseilles where everything is fine unless one goes down the wrong street and gets one´s throat cut by a pissed off Algerian. I must give this some more thought.

According to posts here and elsewhere, John's moving to Southern Ca and will probably save enough in the buying to make up for any downside in selling here.

Crime? My hometown newspaper NOB is like reading a horror story, full of stabbings. Sweet little college town. Oh, yeah. Not these days.

Things are going to hell in a handbasket pretty much everywhere. Except for Podunk Junction Iowa and they have a big meth problem.

Screw it, I'm old and I'll live until I reach room temperature whenever that might be. No regrets, it has been a great life. We are the most privileged generations of Americans ever to live IMO.

I wish him luck in SoCal. Unless he can figure out how to remain an out of state resident, he'll be taxed to death. Everything else costs an arm and a leg. My brother lives there, it is still damned expensive. You gotta take out a second mortgage to go out to eat and forget about hiring anyone to clean your house.

No thanks. Been there, seen that.