A DAY’S JOURNEY

Up, dressed, ACE wrapped, walking stick-I’m ready to go! Enough of being inside with so much left to explore.

Careful to measure every step, Ben readily offers his hand when I need it.  I make pretty good time, stopping only for an occasional photo op or to greet shopkeepers along the way: Dona Maria, our petite 90-something neighborhood street sweeper, the cinnamon colored older woman counting freshly made yellow corn tortillas (most here are marina-these are maiz amarillo-yellow corn), Antonio Jose who steps out of his carpentry shop to ask our names & wish us well, the group of moms (madres) y ninas giggling their way along the street who readily return my greeting.  Turning into the open gate of The Lake Chapala Society, a world of gardens & gringos opens up.  This complex was donated by Neill James, a female “explorer” who rolled 1000′ down the volcano known as Popo & settled in Ajijic to recover in the 1940’s. (Check out chapala.com or my Facebook timeline for more info.) LCS helps gringos find their way in the village.  Bulletin boards are packed with info about housing, classes, tours & ways to help the locals.  Ben’s new friend Pat tells us the central plaza in town delineates the 4 main barrios (neighborhoods) by the half sun mosaic @ each corner.  The central sun surrounds the gazebo.  Weezie, our neighbor & friend we house sat for in March, arrives on her way to her weekly Spanish class & entices me to go along.  90 minutes. Free. Conversational.  No pressure.  I am thrilled to realize how much I already know.  Same time next week!  A big step for me as the idea of “performing” in front of a class always intimidates me.

We say good-bye to Weezie, noting that we’ll see her there tomorrow for Open Circle, a weekly talk about anything from retirement to spiritual issues, & move on to one of my favorite restaurants-Chili Verde.  Chili rellenos, sopa de pollo con arroz y frijoles y fresh tortillas.  Yum!  Mango aqua de fresca y limonada.  A waiter turns Mexican music on & suddenly the lineup of cooks behind the counter are giggling & dancing as they work.  I smile & join in, doing a little jig in my chair.  When a steaming bowl of something not on the menu passes by, we find out it’s posole & lament missing it.  A few minutes later a cook places a bowl of the labor intensive soup & it’s fixing on our table & offers it “on the house”.  Yum! Y muchos gracias!  When you leave this small family owned restaurant that fills with gringos & locals alike, each cook & wait person speaks out to you-Adios! Gracias!  It feels like home.

On now to the “dollar store”-yes, they have their version, too.  A gringo shopkeeper greets us with words like-“Been here 17 years. Happiest I’ve ever been. Remember that every day is an adventure.”  In a small farmacia nearby I pick up a 10 pack of 600mg ibuprofeno for $1.35 & we head to Total Body Spa to schedule massage appointments ($35/hr).  My pedicure will be done while I’m on the table-interesting.  Moving on we pass an open door with a large basket of gorgeous avocados on display on the sidewalk.  I pick up 2 & cautiously enter the narrow hallway calling “Hola?” when a woman steps out from her kitchen to ask for 20 pesos (about $1). (It is not unusual for locals to set out foods or meals for sale on the sidewalk but that’s another story.).

We make our way now to the carretera, the main road that divides north (mountain side) from south (lake side).  New sidewalks, bike lanes (mostly for transportation not sport) & fresh paint-the village is thriving from gringo income.  We stop by a newly open restaurant-Purple Garlic Pizza Brothers-having heard they’re doing GF crust (could it be??) The young Mexican man & his American wife are friendly & chatty.  Soon as they get the rice cauliflower crust figured out…..Ben stops for a roasted chicken & veggies for dinner.  Though chicken here has an amazing flavor, lunch was overload. Kombucha, thank you.  (Locally made with returnable bottles.).  Across the carretera, norte, I stop to take a pic of another favorite restaurant, Machi Ma.  It is a serene & welcoming vegetarian place, super clean & friendly.  A sign in front tags the philosophy their locally sourced food embodies.

It is a climb to our apartment now.  Tired.  My knees ache.  But I am happy.  I am becoming part of this village.  The welcoming smiles.  Kindness graciously rendered.  The joy of life displayed daily.  Oh, it has its problems, like every place.  But my heart & soul know, for awhile at least, it is home.