Jason Sandford
Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.
Ted’s excellent adventure recently led him into the village of Ajijic, not far from neighboring Chapala, Ted’s home base.
Steve ran into Ted there and provided these photos, which are way cool. Go to Steve’s Web site to see more.
Ted was checking out the market in Ajijic. Looks like he was having a good time exploring.
Ajijic still sleeps, despite the onslaught of tourists. At least that’s what I’ve read. Here’s a nice description I picked up while surfing a little while ago:
A half-hour south of Guadalajara at driving speeds paced to dodge potholes and wandering cows, burros, or goats, the pastel village with its sugar- white, butter-yellow-trimmed central church has been ignored by major resort developers. Even though Ajijic and neighbouring Chapala, Jocotepec, and San Juan Cosala sit beside Mexico’s biggest lake, Lake Chapala, there are no sweeping beaches here. The lakeshore ranges from swampy to submerged, depending on the season.
But the lake it serves as weather control, exerting a moderating influence on the microclimate. This hollow in surrounding mountain ranges and high plateaus possesses the second-most temperate climate in the world, say locals– next only to Kenya, they add proudly.It seldom drops below sixty degrees Fahrenheit. It never soars to the flesh- steaming high heat of Puerto Vallarta in July or August.
And just a little bit more description:
There is a lot that is very good here, if you like a form of serenity that settles on your shoulders and soaks into your bones. A dozen artists’ studios and galleries dot village streets. Some are local-born, others imported gringos who’ve “gone native.” The villas or condos around the villages now line the lake’s north shore almost to Jocotepec at the west end before the road loops around to the south side, where more villages, small local communities of fishers, artisans, and farm workers, dot the lakeshore.
Sounds like a great place.
