GOLF CHAPALA

It is a short walk for me from San Nicolas to the Country Club where we enjoy Friday night buffets, Mahjong, hitting golf balls, or just walking the lovely 9 hole course in the evening. Drive to the Country Club de Chapala along the road that leads to Mezcala.  You will pass the town of Santa Cruz, then San Nicolas, then enter through the gates of Chapala Country Club. A beautiful paved

road takes you up to the security gate.  Pause and tell them you are going to the golf course, the guard lifts the gate and you will drive up another few hundred yards and turn right into the club.  The green fees for non-members are 1,200 pesos for 18 or less holes which includes a cart between the hours of 7:00 AM - 2:00 PM.  If you tee off after 2:00 PM it is 650 pesos.  If you wait to tee off after

4:00 PM it is only 400 pesos. Golfing ends at 7:00 PM. It is a nine hole course, but 18 holes can be played.  Get a Social membership for only 500 pesos per year, per couple. It includes line dancing, Zumba, Yoga, Majhong and social dinner parties.  Check in at the stone

Pro Shop where you can purchase a bucket of balls and go to the driving range or take lessons from Romero.  All golfers must hire a Caddy who will spot your balls and guide you through the course.  Standard Caddy fees are posted in the clubhouse which are dependent on the size of your group.  No fivesomes allowed, only two people per cart and each player must have their own clubs. The course was designed by Harry Offutt in 1956, a golf Pro from the USA.

All other information is on this link. Country Club de Chapala

JALISCO 2018 Traffic Laws

Each Jalsico car must be smog checked and a new sticker applied on or before the month that corresponds to the last digit of its license plate. OUR last digit is a (3) so we must get car smogged each year before March, and on the third day of the week which is Tuesday or Martes.  The smog fee is only 300 pesos. PENSION is the place in Chapala to get smogged. ADDRESS: 375 Zaragoza. You must bring the CARD you get from the Mexican DMV when you pay for annual registration. Traffic fines are calculated in multiples of Jalsico's minimum daily wage, which is 67 pesos in 2014.   http://tinyurl.com/8c5c4hf  ; all traffic fines can be paid at most banks, at the 7-Eleven, and OXXO convenient stores. Fines are levied against a CAR not a person.  If someone else drives your car and gets a ticket, and fine remains unpaid, you will be responsible to pay when you renew your car registration.  KEEP receipt or PINK slip to your car in a SAFE place. Jalisco requires that all cars be insured in the amount of 6,000 days at minimum wage (67 pesos X 6,000) for bodily injury, and or property damage to third parties.  You must also carry 25,000 days ($1,682,250 pesos) for death.

Regulation article 199 states that if the fine is paid within 10 working days, you will get a 50% discount. If paid within 29 working days you will get a 25% discount.  In the Lake Chapala area, fines can be paid at the Hacienda Treasury office located at Degollado #306, Chapala and other places herein mentioned.  AFTER filling out the form on the following website:

POLICE OFFICER RULES: Under ARTICLE 159: Policeman may NOT take your drivers license or any other document, but they are allowed to look at them.  In some Mexico states, this is NOT the case.  Each car MUST have back bumpers/fenders.  MUST have windshield wipers. MUST have side mirrors. MUST have functioning headlights.  MUST have a license plate.  MUST NOT drive in reverse over 10 kilometers per hour.  (5 miles per hour)

DRIVING SOMEONE ELSES CAR: If you are driving a friends car and they are not in the car with you, you need a signed letter from the owner of the car authorizing you to drive it, plus a copy of their ID in order for policeman to match signatures. ARTICLE 189; policeman may NOT commit extortion ( may not ask for bribes, or MORDITAS). This is abusing their authority and police officers who do extort money can be sentenced to 1-5 years in prison.  IMPOUNDED CAR REASONS: Car parked which blocks a garage or reserved spot.  Driving without a license plate.

Travel Info for Expats

This info is ONLY for expats who live in Mexico full time or part time. Make sure to carefully fill out the FMM form CORRECTLY. HAND WRITE Resident Permanente across the TOP of FMM form. Country of Residence is MEXICO. Purpose of travel: Other.As an RP visa holder (Resident Permanent), any time you fly out of Mexico you will have to fill out an FMM and give it to the airline carrier to be attached to your boarding pass. The shorter lower segment of

the form will be collected at the INM desk prior to entering the boarding area. The tricky part is how the FMM is handled when reentering Mexico. Airline personnel usually hand out the forms on board the flight to Mexico. Permanent Residents MUST fill in the information boxes in the top portion of the form, including noting Mexico as country of residence (box #7), the number shown on the back of the INM green card (box #8), checking OTHER/OTRO as purpose of trip (box #9). ADD the hand-written notation Residente Permanente across the top of the form and detach the lower portion of form to KEEP until you arrive home. Once off the plane, pay close attention as you go through the immigration filter. First of all show the official your INM resident

green card and passport and verbally state "soy residente." Then hand over only the top portion of the FMM. Cooperate if the official on duty insists that you fill out both segments of the form, but make sure that the gray areas designated for Uso Oficial are filled out properly before leaving the immigration desk. ALARM: If there is a check mark in the section labeled Estancia Maxima 180 days you will be registered as a visitor in the INM data base, automatically losing your resident status. Stand your ground to see that the mistake is corrected and the section below, titled "Unicamente Para Efectos Estadisticos," is CORRECTLY checked off in the box labeled Tarjeta Permanente Temporal. Resident.  Expats NEED to follow the same procedures when leaving and entering the country by land or sea. Guillermina Cortés also pointed out that RP and PT holders are not subject to paying any processing fees to airline companies or immigration checkpoints since they have already paid the requisite taxes for obtaining their visas. All it takes is a seemingly minor clerical error committed when going through immigration stations at border crossings and as you make your way through international airports.

ALERT yourself to the DETAILS of each FMM form you fill out, and before leaving the WINDOW at Guad Airport, make sure the correct BOX below USO OFFICIAL is correct. A Residente Temporal (RT) or Residente Permanente (RP) status could be MISTAKENLY SWITCHED to a visitor permit good for a maximum of 180 days. According to INM's Chapala office chief Guillermina Cortés, at least a dozen lakeside area immigrants have lost their residency visas due to paperwork glitches when returning to Mexico from trips abroad. Essentially the problem stems from errors in processing the Forma Migratoria Multiple (FMM), a standard form that must be submitted individually by all foreigners entering and exiting Mexico. PRINT THIS AND KEEP PAPER INSIDE PASSPORT.

Real Estate in Jalisco

Get yourself a good realtor! Shop for what you want; one story, small 2 bedroom, or room for guests. After owning here for 10 years, people who come visit like staying at S.F. Hotel in Chapala.  They have freedom to walk about, check things out without a car. There is so much to see, hire a realtor to drive you about like I did. Ask questions, and figure out what section of the Lake you prefer.  From West to South of the lake: Jocotopec, San Juan Cosala, Ajijic, La Floresta, Walmart, San Antonio, Chula Vista, Mirasol, Chapala.  Our first home was in Chapala and we felt totally safe, however, there is a fiesta quite regularly into the wee hours of the morning so in January 2017 we moved just 5 miles outside Chapala towards Mezcala in a little pueblo named San Nicolas.  We are around the corner from Vista Del Lago Country Estates which are fabulous homes around a 9 hole golf course.  For just 500 pesos annually you can become a social member and enjoy the monthly dinner parties with entertainment. It is quieter living along side the lake in San Nicolas de Ibarra. Just remember this is Mexico and we are guests. The happy folks here will throw a Fiesta to celebrate

anything and everything. It is just a 5 minute ride, on a good road to the park in Chapala to walk our dog, and it is 8 miles to shop at Soriano for groceries.  The fitness center I joined is in Mirasol "Fit for Life" and they have a "Curves" circuit of equipment that I can easily manage three times a week.  There are a number of fantastic cafe's nearby.  A few places that we frequent are in San Antonio.  Panino's, Adelita's, and the new cafe just across the street from Panino's.  There is also access to a malecon in San Antonio to walk your dog.  Our dog Rags was adopted from the Lucky Dog Shelter and he has since attended obedience and agility school.  The mayor of Chapala has done an excellent job by increasing safety A recent Sermon by Pastor Ken Armstrong .  We love living in Mexico and the real estate taxes and cost of living make it affordable enough that a person has money to give back and to travel.  View the video and the pictures posted on this link An Expat Blogs.

and tourism around Lake Chapala.  Our annual cost to maintain our home in San Nicolas, which includes property taxes, the water bill, insurance, renewing annual tags on both cars is a whopping $560.00 USD annually.  Besides the affordability, we love the culture, the people, the various service opportunities, and the fellowship at Little Chapel in Mirasol. I actually found the place I originally purchased online in the USA. We sold it in 2017 and found the next home in one of the many Real Estate for sale magazines that are here at Lakeside.  Enjoy the adventure.  Check this site for Health Insurance options, and recommended restaurants on the links provided on the right.  Hasta Luego! MEET SOME LOCAL Women of Value.   CLICK ON  BLOGGED PHOTOS TO ENLARGE.

Seguro Popular for ER

Any person can obtain health insurance in Mexico for an annual fee of $300 USA. The IMSS office for residents of Chapala is located across from old railway station, near Christiana park on

Gonzalez Gallo. It is best to use a local attorney to get through the (3) step application process. The IMSS hospital in Guad has the latest technology and equipment. The picture here is of the Seguro Popular office in Chapala, Seguro compares to county health care in the USA. For an emergency you can get care, but you will wait in long lines, and the Seguro hospitals are filled with stressed out, under paid doctors and nurses.

The ALTERNATIVE Health Insurance option for those who do not wish to pay the $300 annual premium for IMSS insurance is to apply for SEGURO POPULAR

whose office is shown in the first and 2nd pictures above. SEGURO compares to county health insurance in the USA. To apply for SEGURO you will need your passport, your CURP card, your GREEN card, and a CFE bill in your name with your address on it.  Once you receive your Seguro Popular acceptance 8 x 11

sheet of paper, you can obtain FREE meds.  You get SEGURO meds filled at the pharmacy located at 380 Zaragoza. However, in order to be seen by a SEGURO doctor, you need to arrive at 7:30 AM and stand in a line that could take up to an hour.  Therefore, we established a relationship with a local doctor and for minor emergencies, a cold, flu, infection etc. We opt to pay the 300 pesos per office visit and save our IMSS insurance for anything major, like a needed surgery, heart attack or whatever. There are many great doctors at Lakeside.

Solar Savings

With our CFE bill wavering close to the red zone, and with the annual 12% increase across the board for electricity at Lakeside, we chose eSun Energy in Ajijic. eSun has the highest quality installations in Mexico and their sevice is excellent! We look forward to paying CFE about $7.00 USD every two months!!! WARNING to home-owners and renters.  Once your CFE bill hits the RED ZONE, your bi-monthly bill triples. So if your CFE bill goes from 800 pesos to  2400 pesos, it never reduces.  Those who do rent at Lakeside, call the office and make an appointment to discuss how you can reduce your CFE bill.  Owner maintenance responsibility is simply to toss a bucket of water across each panel during the dry season.  WARNING: Do NOT use soap, do NOT use a squeegee.  Removing dust with a splash of water is sufficient to maximize efficiency.  To remove bird droppings"  1 cup white cider vinegar mixed into a 5 gallon bucket.  Toss the mixture across the panel, then toss a clean bucket of water across the panel. Professional annual cleaning is available by eSun for 30 pesos per panel.  Check out their website.  They are professionals!!! eSun Energy

An English speaking salesman came to our casa, went up on the roof to inspect location and get the data on our two air conditioners on Tuesday. We provided eSun with a CFE bill and on Wednesday a written quote was delivered based on our personal two year consumption. Our capital investment will pay for itself in 4 years, but the BEST NEWS is that we can crank up our air conditioners for four hours per day, during the four hottest months at Lakeside. Since we live at Lakeside full time, we have now increased our travel budget by reducing our cost to run the air conditioner!  Hallelujah! 

Unleashed, NOT bored

Unleashed without boundaries, without a limit of fresh air to breathe, without an edit of any emotion, we embark upon unknown trails. Without a compass, but in complete FAITH, with a destination, and great expectations, we explore wide eyed and exuberant! Without the need for a life jacket,  we stretch to utilize our gifts and bless others. With FREEDOM to roam about the planet and witness great NEWS, we remain resolved to be tested and proved! Our spirits are refreshed by legions of others who have gone before us! In a CLEAR COLORFUL VISION ~~~ Imagine yourselves laughing with the locals of Chapala as they attempt to comprehend your Spanglish.   With excitement the Mexican people embrace all who habla um poco Espanol.  Walking along the Malecons of Chapala and Ajijic and down the stony streets,  you will thrill as locals greet you with huge smiles!  Flowers and people seem to bloom and emerge easily inside unkempt, imperfect, unexpected places. WOW, a humongous tree with an enlarged trunk and vivid orange blossoms grows next to a poinsettia that towers like an aged California oak.  Our mind fills up with lavish images, beyond any of our past, and there we stand riveted by God's absolute BEST!  We left behind what was known along highway 99 and highway 88 to Silver Lake and we marvel at the green hills surrounding Lakeside. Our ears hear His voice whispering "Well done My good and faithful servants"  Our spirits are lifted as we put our hands to good use among several great organizations. We tred with grand delight, feeling unleashed, but not unprotected as we walk the streets of

Ajijic, La Floresta and Chapala. The picture above is of the lush garden at the Lake Chapala Society in Ajijic. LINKS on the right of this blog will take you on a vivid tour of Lakeside. Uncharted walks makes my soul respond with giddyness to the bromide elixir that the lake emits. A cobbled street runs thru La Floresta to connect Chapala and Ajijic. This stroll allows your eyes to witness horses and children at play without an ordinance! A spot where artesians yearn to stay and participate in the MAGIC of artsy AJIJIC.

Our weekly calendar is full of fun activity and local invites. We have met folks from around the globe! Daily walks to lakeside include hugs and chats. Much to do as grateful volunteers. Each March we raise money for Love in Action at the Annual Chili cook off.  FUN times galore!  Monday we attend a Spanish class in Ajijic.  Tuesday morning after our malecon walk with Donna, Dan, LC, Lucinda and a bevy of others, Mike attends

Bible study with a groovy group of gringo men. Tuesday night Barb hosts a women's CR group in our home while Mike enjoys a boys night out. Wednesday Barb serves at UPSCALE RESALE a second hand store much like Superior Thrift in Stockton.  All proceeds help fund HOPE HOUSE. Thursday we attend Spanish class again, followed by a Spanish practice session every Thursday evening at 5:00 pm with at least 15 local people from Lakeside.  Friday Mike works for a few hours at HOPE HOUSE, a boys orphanage, then we generally catch up with Villa Santa Paula resident neighbors Jack & Albert, Gary & Mila, Dan & Lynette, Amy, or Virgina.   We have booked passage around Lake Chapala on several Sunday afternoons with a group from Church.
There is also a Kayaking and Sailing Club in La Floresta which offers sails around Lake Chapala on Tuesday mornings and Thursday evenings. Adventures await as the surrounding forested places give oxygen to the villages within the state of Jalisco. As we abide in Him where EVER we travel, we rest in His hands as He opens the doors for our safe passage. My hopes, dreams and best plans have always been surpassed when it comes to swallowing fully that which has been made possible for my senses to intake. With our anchors pulled up in California, we float freely among English speaking people that blend with a variety of snow birds seeking paradise -- We mix it up within the small town of Chapala (population 20,000) and the colorful culture in Ajijic (population 10,000) along the shores of Lakeside! A fishing community feel of GLEE abounds. A local Hotel on Hidalgo offers all day swimming in an olympic pool that faces the lake for only 50 pesos! The Hotel, the cafe, and the pool are kept very clean. Hotel Villa Monte Carlo is a great place to cool off on those hot days! LINK on sidebar.

 An awesome gander of what "is"allows any person to be struck with wonder at this simple truth --- that regardless of language, color, education or the economy - we are united by our reverence for untamed, natural beauty. Trusting God, we remain surrendered to the AWE inspiring grandeur of His Spirit that is resplendent! Our path is filled with His GLORY to behold! Men and Women of truth, grace and spirit. Mothers, daughters, fathers and sons, globe trotters, and California giddy gurls shop and adorn themselves with color. We were born into being with a body that responds to color, music, food and the fantastic elements of nature -- people discover their unique best in Mexico in the midst of poverty and the riches, we have mucho to be thankful for. We are here to experience God's love as we marvel in all that He has so abundantly provided. COME to Chapala and expect to be astounded!  Focus on what delights your soul and come and explore!  Watch, listen and be ever AMAZED! We all are the "BE" in being unleashed. Go with courage and become the Columbus of your imaginings. Pack light, wear that LOVE that cannot be worn out! "He has commanded His angels concerning you." Therefore confidently "Cast all anxiety on Him" and travel in faith that Jesus has gone before you! Buen Provecho! Enjoy LIFE to the fullest!

Love it, or Leave it!

Living in Mexico is not for everybody, but it is for me, a retired woman from California.  I hear some ex-pats complaining about the traffic, or the humidity, or the length of time it takes to get served a meal.  C’mon, really….the traffic is slower

because around lakeside we wobble along on cobblestones, and it is highly effective as it slows down the rat race pace! The humidity part? Get an air conditioner installed for $600 USA, or go walk around in Walmart or the Casino to cool down. Humidity should be adored for how moist it keeps a woman’s skin.  Ever notice the beautiful complexion of Mexican women?  Patience? The time spent in a cafe waiting for your food to arrive is called

dining!  When the food arrives it is freshly made, not something slammed on your plate with a waiter watching the time clock eager to bus the table and replace you with another tipper.  One must choose to NOT compare what was, to what is.  One must embrace the culture of Mexico and look for the

positive in it, or one must sensibly just go back to what feels at home.  It is best to NOT expect the rich Mexico culture to change to accommodate our comfort levels, but to go with the flow, which means that you cannot expect that CFE, Telmex or Telecable will arrive on time to fix your problem.  If one misses having their street cleaned by

the City, in exchange for higher taxes, then one should just visit Mexico on vacation instead of moving here.  What I came to love about the culture of Mexico is the people, and their determination to take care of their own.  Here in Mexico a woman or man aged 65-85 do not look for food stamps, or government aid to sustain their life here.  They get up every morning and sweep the sidewalk in front of their

home/business with a smile and a hope that today they will earn adequate funds to feast on the staples and/or maybe serve meat a few times a week.  Frida had polio, Frida had sever back injuries and Frida did not seek social security disability income!  Frida learned to paint in her bed because most of the time she was in severe pain.  You gotta love Mexico, or not…and if you do not…then just go back to where life suits your personal expectations with minimum complaints. 

A Great Church

The Lord's Church is a small collection of people from every sector of faith. The Bible teaching sermon begins at 11:00 AM. It is a true non-denominational gathering of friendly folks. The basic doctrine is that we all believe in Jesus Christ.  Christians are called to be "ambassadors of reconciliation".  Wednesdays at 4:30 in the Upper Room is a fellowship with various food dishes and laughter.  LOCATION: Right on the carretera, next to Panino's in San Antonio. Sunday service begins at 11:00 AM. Pastor Ken Armstrong speaks English and his background lends to a great respect for those who have attended various other congregations.  These are notes from a recent study on Ephesians 6 Got Your Armor On? For more information on the background of Pastor Ken see the comments.  You can reach the Pastor at  376-108-1861.  Associate Pastor Earl Schenck  331-637-0128.

Manzanillo Resort

At port city beach near Colima can be reached by car in just 3 hours from Chapala.  Enjoy beautiful, safe toll roads all the way.  Love meeting up at Mom's cafe with friends at 8:00 AM and getting on the road by 9:00 AM to arrive at the beach by noon.  Just past the volcano in Colima, the coconut groves wave and point you towards this under populated port beach town. For the Starbucks, Carl's Junior, Dairy Queen, Domino's Pizza junk foodies - there is a new mall as you come into town and the upstairs, air conditioned food court is outstanding!  We have stayed at the HM, Pepe's, Las Hadas and the Camino Real in Manzanillo.  While in town I always check out new places and I give  The Barcelo Karmina five stars.  It has a private beach, it sits on the Las Hadas golf course, four swimming pools, WIFI and it is ALL INCLUSIVE.  By clicking the above link, you join the Premium Club for FREE and you get points in peso rebates for each stay.  The Barcelo has hotels worldwide.  Stayed for Mothers Day and plan on New Years Eve in a deluxe suite at a great price as a Premium Club Member.

Healthy Eating in Mexico

It is easy to overeat at Lakeside because there are a number of fabulous restaurants along the lake. The Paris Cafe, Bruno's, Paninos, Montana Cafe, Cafe Negro, Tango, Pranzo, Lake Taco and the Food Court at Del Lago. Staying at home to cook or bake has become a delightful passion only AFTER I put on more weight than I would like to confess! The Shepherd's Code is NOT a diet, it is a lifestyle change for anyone who wants to prevent disease or to lose weight. It is an easy adjustment because you can still eat bagels, chocolate, whip cream, sandwiches, pancakes, even crackers and cheese, all made out of ingredients that are NOT full of carbohydrates.   SIMPLE RULE is to EAT FAT to LOSE FAT.  Keep the daily carb count to 20 and have FUN in the kitchen while watching your clothes get baggy.  A local missionary couple shared that together they have lost over 60 pounds in 60 days! This link will direct you to a collection of recipes that are designed to put your body into the FAT burning mode, or ketosis. The Shepherd's Code  be sure and watch the video at the bottom of "Breakfast Choices".  Kristina WIlds, a faithful wife wrote this book and developed The Shepherd's Code to help her husband who has ALS. Available on Amazon.

MAIL in MEXICO

What a great find! ISHOP  is located in San Antonio near Paninos. All those who serve you speak English.  UPS, FEDEX, FAX, DHL, and regular US Post mail will safely arrive to your family and friends when placed in the

 capable hands of ISHOP. We do not have a printer at home because we do not need one.  When we must print, I send ISHOP an email with the attached document and they print for me. For just a few pesos, you can do anything.  A coffee shop is right next to the mail boxes.  We rented a box here and share the annual cost with a few neighbors as we rarely receive anything but email. We used ISHOP to FEDEX docs to close escrow in the USA.  With the cost of a box, you can receive packages delivered to ISHOP and they call you to come and pickup. PHONE: (376) 766-1933 and the FAX (376) 766-2755.