here today . . . gone tomorrow

Yes, that time has arrived when we are packing up the house to return to the US.  Tomorrow afternoon is the departure date, sad to say.  And it has only been four months this season, not the usual five.  We have to get home so we can pack up the car and head up to Walla Walla for g'daughter Emiy's college graduation.  Seems like only yesterday . . . well, never mind.

Last post was pre-Ajijic adventure.  It's a very charming place, filled with gringo expats from Canada and the US.  As such, lots of restaurants, shops, a couple of good bookstores, and a supermarket (Superlake) that has goodies in it you can't even find in the Safeway and certainly not in any other Mexican market we've ever been in.  The town is strung around the shores of Lake Chapala, about an hour from Guadalajara.  Streets are cobbled, sidewalks are cobbles, it's a hell of a place to try to walk.  But walk we did and discovered some lovely little nabes, and some mighty colorful buildings.  The jacaranda was at the end of its bloom, but there were enough left to cause an occasional gasp from yours truly.  We ate at a Thai restaurant, a casual cafe close to the lake.   I had the best lamb burger imaginable, and at Adelita's  where I ordered grilled salmon and Mr. C a succulent pork tenderloin.  We were definitely NOT in Cuyutlán!

The home we stayed in was such a lovely retreat; quiet, cool, very comfortable.  This is a look at the little balcony off our bedroom.

From the porch I could look across the courtyard to the other casita where the owners live.  This property originally had just one house on it ~ the one where their guests stay ~ and they built a separate house for themselves.  Both are absolutely lovely.

The grounds are immaculately groomed and filled with flowers, ferns, all sorts of exotica.

Massive pots of these gorgeous amaryllis are all through the two gardens.

Monday morning I went with our hostess down to the central plaza to join her and some friends for coffee.  Imagine having a real coffee cafe right in your Mexican town. (You are lucky to get a cup of Nescafe here.)

Around this plaza are restaurants, a bank, shops, a couple of municipal offices, a tiny fruit an veggie market (where we bought a sweet and delicious melon).  Soon enough it was time for lunch.  We decided on this place

The food was excellent and also beautiful to look at.  I had a Thai chicken salad; spicy, crunchy, delicious.

Mr. C had a big bowl of beef soup loaded with veggies, fat noodles and a heavenly aromatic broth.

After lunch we walked over to this salon so I could get my very overly long hair cut.

Oh, have I mentioned how colorful the buildings in the town are?  Like San Miguel.

Tiles on the front of a house

We especially admired this gallery facade.  ALEX:  TAKE NOTE!!

Colorful plaque on the exterior wall of a huge hacienda on the shores of Lake Chapala

On our walk home ~ me with my sore feet and new hair cut ~ we admired the waning days of the jacaranda and primavera blossoms.  Here's an intertwining of them both on a street not far from where we were staying.

Some interesting wall art, too.

This is not on a public building.  Just on the side of a private home.

 Wednesday we went to the weekly tianguis and what a market it is!  Everything ours is and much, much more, including several flower sellers.  I've never understood why we don't have at least one.  Colorful goods, food, meat, fish, crafts, fabrics all laid out in three or four  blocks.

Sizzling empanadas

Different kinds of sweets and nuts . . .

and the very colorful bowls to put them in.  I love this lacquerware stuff.

So that was it for this trip to Ajijic.  Both of us are seriously contemplating  a longer stay next season, perhaps rent a house for a month.  But that's for next year

Meanwhile, we have been engaged in the usual shut-up-the-house activities in preparation for tomorrow's departure.

Monday was the last tianguis and we didn't need much but went anyway out of habit.  Just outside the market were some mango trees loaded with mango wanna-bes.  For some reason we got very few mangoes this season.  They just didn't ripen in time.

 Tuesday was my last domino game . . .

Friday was our last stroll down the deserted malecon for dinner at Dago's . . . 

and Sunday was our last comida at El Barcel and beach walk for this season.

If you have managed to wade through this world's longest blog post, I salute you!  If I didn't wait so long this wouldn't happen, right?