First visit to Lakeside

by mwool Sun Apr 28, 2013 1:59 pm

After many years in Panama and Uruguay, my wife & I are finally going to check-out the Ajijic/Chapala area at the beginning of June since we figured it would be good to see some of the worst weather and the slower time of the year first. While there, we will be looking for a place to rent when we return, from Aug-Nov. When we come back, we will need a comfortable/convenient, furnished 2 bedroom that has good, high-speed internet and a secure yard/area for our small dog. We won’t have a car yet this fall so easy access is a must. All suggestions would be most appreciated and welcomed.
We hope to meet many local residents and get a feel for the area before we return in the fall for more exploring. If there are any places/events that we should not miss or any gatherings (swarms?), please let us know. There seems to be an abundance of interesting characters and we are looking forward to meeting some. Also, there are some clubs/organizations that we’d like to contact while there.
We have been avid readers of Inside Lakeside and it has helped clear-up many important issues for us and supplied lots of helpful tips. We have lots to do still but that’s half the fun and we are anxious for another new adventure.
Thanks for all of the helpful advice.
Saludos, Mark

by slainte39 Sun Apr 28, 2013 2:13 pm

mwool wrote: There seems to be an abundance of interesting characters.

To say the very least.....but some are very reclusive and have to be "ferreted" out. Very Happy

by CHILLIN Sun Apr 28, 2013 2:53 pm

We moved Lakeside on November 1, we didn't realize how cold it was (mid 60's F). We were wearing fleece, sweats and fuzzy slippers inside the house. We got through by having big fires every night and borrowing one of those portable propane heaters. It started get a little warmer in January - but there were many times that it was warmer outside than inside. By April 1st, the pool was just warm enough for swimming (81F) with no heating.

Just a heads up!

by mwool Sun Apr 28, 2013 3:05 pm

CHILLIN wrote:We moved Lakeside on November 1, we didn't realize how cold it was (mid 60's F). We were wearing fleece, sweats and fuzzy slippers inside the house. We got through by having big fires every night and borrowing one of those portable propane heaters. It started get a little warmer in January - but there were many times that it was warmer outside than inside. By April 1st, the pool was just warm enough for swimming (81F) with no heating.

Just a heads up!

Thanks, good to know.
But, January warmer than Nov, that's a surprise.
Mid 60s sounds good to me but you do need to be dressed for it. No tank-tops/shorts/flip-flops.

by manymoonsago Sun Apr 28, 2013 4:33 pm

Hmmm...you are visiting in early June to experience some of the worst weather??....what kind of weather are you expecting at that time of year?

by Rosa Venus Sun Apr 28, 2013 4:41 pm

May through mid-June until the rains come is definitely the worse weather here, at least for me. Hot, dry and dusty. Then occasional hot and dusty with some humidity, but without rain. Blech.

Finding a rental for your stay in June will be easy. Just check the main rental agencies (Roma, Ajijic Rentals, Coldwell Banker, Laguna.....and others.....wow there are a lot). Depending upon how long your stay is, you could even rent for a week here, a week there, another week somewhere else to check out different areas as groundwork for when you return.

by RoofBob Sun Apr 28, 2013 5:03 pm

We have a rental available and sent you a PM with a link to some photos. Very Happy

by Trailrunner Sun Apr 28, 2013 5:21 pm

Welcome, Mark. Hope you enjoy your stay here, it is pretty sweet. Also want to say a great place to start would be RoofBob's place in Chapala, not only for accommodations but RB and his wife are fun and very knowledgeable about the area and living here.

Would love it if you would post a little about why you want to leave Uruguay and how you found Panama. Have you been living along the beach in Uruguay or inland? I am mildly interested in Uruguay.

by Chapala Payaso Sun Apr 28, 2013 5:50 pm

"...we figured it would be good to see some of the worst weather and the slower time of the year first."

You may be disappointed in that case. The rainy season is my favorite time of year. Fits and spurts of rain can be expected anywhere after mid May but the real thing usually begins about June 12th. Fortunately, many of the gringos will have gone back to their northern homes so driving and parking here will be easier. Have fun.

by David Sun Apr 28, 2013 6:46 pm

I agree, from early April til the start of the rainy season the 2nd week of June is the worst time here; hot, dry, and dusty. IMHO the rainy season is the best; no dust, pleasant humidity, and comfortable temp. I like the fall too up until we get our "winter."

by juanrey Sun Apr 28, 2013 8:14 pm

David wrote:I agree, from early April til the start of the rainy season the 2nd week of June is the worst time here; hot, dry, and dusty. IMHO the rainy season is the best; no dust, pleasant humidity, and comfortable temp. I like the fall too up until we get our "winter."

Yeah, winter all two months of it.
Have to say David and Payso probably speak for about 80 - 90% of the population down here. The rainy season is something everyone looks forward to and it is very nice. Daytime temps moderate from upper 80's to upper 70's and low 80's, nights stay pleasant and in the 60's after midnight. Rains mostly at night. Lasts from June to Sept and makes the mountains come alive.
Yeah, you'll be seeing the worst and you should find it very pleasant.

by CheenaGringo Sun Apr 28, 2013 8:36 pm

For all of you who choose the continue with the party line of only having rain late afternoons or evenings - would you please reconnect with the supreme scheduler of the rains? As we have done for numerous years, we did a Mexico trip last August and can honestly say that we have never experienced that much "off schedule rains" in all of our traveling years! We certainly do appreciate the rains and their positive effects but only when expected.

by David Sun Apr 28, 2013 8:44 pm

Climate change. In nearly 8 years here I've been rained on while golfing only once. I usually play 3 days a week. It rains "mostly"in the night or early A.M.. Where the phrase "second best climate" came from is a mystery. It's been said that it was written in National Geographic some years ago. A search of NG back over 50 years fails to locate the phrase. I can only say that I know of no better climate.

by hound dog Sun Apr 28, 2013 9:27 pm

David wrote:Climate change. In nearly 8 years here I've been rained on while golfing only once. I usually play 3 days a week. It rains "mostly"in the night or early A.M.. Where the phrase "second best climate" came from is a mystery. It's been said that it was written in National Geographic some years ago. A search of NG back over 50 years fails to locate the phrase. I can only say that I know of no better climate.

Just a few would include the highlands of Kenya, Tanzania or Uganda, perhaps the Cameron Highlands of Malaysia, many highland locations on the Indian Subcontinent, San Diego, California, much of the highlands of Colombia, the constantly breezy shores of Havana, the Seychelles, the coasts of Zanzibar and on and on. You might wish to travel about a bit more before proclaiming yourself satisfied with where you are at present big guy.

by juanrey Sun Apr 28, 2013 10:39 pm

hound dog wrote:
David wrote:Climate change. In nearly 8 years here I've been rained on while golfing only once. I usually play 3 days a week. It rains "mostly"in the night or early A.M.. Where the phrase "second best climate" came from is a mystery. It's been said that it was written in National Geographic some years ago. A search of NG back over 50 years fails to locate the phrase. I can only say that I know of no better climate.

Just a few would include the highlands of Kenya, Tanzania or Uganda, perhaps the Cameron Highlands of Malaysia, many highland locations on the Indian Subcontinent, San Diego, California, much of the highlands of Colombia, the constantly breezy shores of Havana, the Seychelles, the coasts of Zanzibar and on and on. You might wish to travel about a bit more before proclaiming yourself satisfied with where you are at present big guy.

by David Mon Apr 29, 2013 5:34 am

I certainly don't need to travel to be happy here.

by mwool Mon Apr 29, 2013 7:12 am

[quote="mwool"] we will be looking for a place to rent when we return, from Aug-Nov. When we come back, we will need a comfortable/convenient, furnished 2 bedroom that has good, high-speed internet and a secure yard/area for our small dog. We won’t have a car yet this fall so easy access is a must. All suggestions would be most appreciated and welcomed.

I should have added that a ground floor apt/casita with an enclosed yard would be best for us & our dog for when we return in Aug. For our short June trip, without dog, a comfy, centrally located B&B will do.
We are so looking forward to this first trip.
Thanks to all for the PMs, good advice and weather forecasts.

by mwool Mon Apr 29, 2013 9:34 am

Trailrunner wrote:Welcome, Mark. Hope you enjoy your stay here, it is pretty sweet. Also want to say a great place to start would be RoofBob's place in Chapala, not only for accommodations but RB and his wife are fun and very knowledgeable about the area and living here.

Would love it if you would post a little about why you want to leave Uruguay and how you found Panama. Have you been living along the beach in Uruguay or inland? I am mildly interested in Uruguay.

Thanks for the tip. I sent RoofBob a PM about this.
As for Panama/Uruguay, both were great but we need to be closer to family now, so MX should fit well.
We lived in the capital, the beach and the highlands of Panama but the rain/mold got old. So when the (real estate) investing market stagnated there, we went to Uruguay. We live on the coast outside of Montevideo and the country/people here are great. The climate is agreeable (no extremes), the beef/cheeses/wines are outstanding, the architecture/culture is interesting and the countryside picturesque. Business is booming but life here is tranquil, stress-free. However, things change, so now (soon) we'll call Mexico home.

by RoofBob Mon Apr 29, 2013 1:39 pm

RoofBob didn't get your PM. Maybe it got hung up at customs. scratch

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