Another positive. People can take beginners and intermediate Spanish classes at The Lake Chapala Society or American Legion. And Conversational Spanish table with expats and Mexican residents

@TrulyRemarkableLife

3 ай бұрын

Good point.

17:45: I like the brands I get in Mexico. One thing to pay attention to (if you are a frugal shopper like me) when buying canned items for hurricane season is price compare between similar goods with the drained weight. There is a significant difference, with some items being up to 40% water.

@TrulyRemarkableLife

8 күн бұрын

Good info!!

It's interesting that you brought up mobility issues. When I was still a teenager (I'm pushing 72 now) I decided that I never wanted to drive. So for me, taking public transportation has always been second nature. I moved to Mexico when I was 26. I was thrilled to see so many transportation options, so my adaptation was minimal. I actually feel a little bit sorry for people who are so car-dependent.

@TrulyRemarkableLife

3 ай бұрын

The public transportation is great here!!

@Rennygade1

3 ай бұрын

Being so car dependent is one of my least favorite things about the US, and one of my favorite things about Europe and Mexico!

I'm visiting for the first time and so far it's amazing! We are up on the mountain in west ajijic. But these views are just gorgeous and listening to the birds is fantastic!

@TrulyRemarkableLife

3 ай бұрын

Ooo mountainside is so beautiful. Enjoy! The views are spectacular.

Jocotepec and Chapala have wider sidewalks and handicapped accessible corners designed for wheelchairs or walkers . I love Ajijic and have fell on uneven cement twice but didn’t hurt myself much. No damage or broken hips. But in 4.5 years of living there I know many who slipped fell and hurt themselves seriously.in Ajijic or San Antonio. Many people relocate to Chapala who have mobility reason and then there’s those who prefer those other towns because it’s more convenient. Thanks. Nice video

@TrulyRemarkableLife

3 ай бұрын

This is a very good point.

We only have two seasons. Rain and dust. 😊

@TrulyRemarkableLife

3 ай бұрын

Hahahah yep

Nice job on this one Boys! All good info 😊One thing I rarely hear about on videos is “how dog friendly a place is”. Where they are and aren’t allowed? Dog friendly parks? Coffee shops? Buses? I did hear that Guadalajara has dog friendly outdoor areas and that if your dog is too big it’s NO on buses. ?mine is Scotty Dog Size so that’s good. Thank you!

@TrulyRemarkableLife

3 ай бұрын

Great Suggestion! It's definitely a dog-friendly environment but maybe a discussion about it is called for. We will put it on the list! Thanks!

The car, bike and pedestrian traffic is terrible especially in Ajijic. I love that I can avoid the car traffic by using my bike but riding through on the Ciclopista through Ajijic is dangerous even going slow. It is supposed to be shared with pedestrians but some don't watch for bikes as they are facing the opposite direction of a bike behind them, don't stay to one side and is crowded with pedestrians at stop lights. On top of that cars block the Ciclopista all the time like when waiting to get on the Carretera, use it as a temporary parking spot, which should be a fine if caught and cars cross it way to fast when crossing or merging on the Carretera.

@TrulyRemarkableLife

Ай бұрын

Traffic can be a thing here - especially during certain times of the year. There is limited space available for traffic and it can get congested. I do use the pedestrian / ciclopista a lot when walking and always try to be cognizant of anyone using that lane. I tend to walk in the bike lane opposite the direction the bikes are coming so that I can see them and get out of the way. LOL KJ

"My train of thought does have a caboose!" Ha, ha, you guys are great!

@TrulyRemarkableLife

2 ай бұрын

Sometimes!! LOL

I find it hard to find negatives in living here in San Antonio Tlayacapan but...THE DUST! 😂

@TrulyRemarkableLife

3 ай бұрын

Yeah... it seems to get worse right before the rainy season too! 😕 but yes... it's hard to find negatives sometimes

Thanks. I really like your videos. Have for a while now

@TrulyRemarkableLife

3 ай бұрын

Thank you!!

@TrulyRemarkableLife

3 ай бұрын

Thank you so much... I definitely notice and appreciate your comments! Always so supportive!

Thank you so much.

@TrulyRemarkableLife

3 ай бұрын

You're very welcome

I am also from a small town and enjoy eating outside. Everything is close enough that you can take a bicycle everywhere and not have to worry about parking.

@TrulyRemarkableLife

3 ай бұрын

Good points!

Other than the lack of pressure, one of the few 'complaints' I've heard with the water is the odor when taking a shower.

@TrulyRemarkableLife

3 ай бұрын

We havent has that problem.

Minute 14:00 : In 2010, both my husband and our oldest daughter were quite ill in Texas with different conditions, so I needed to travel back and forth between Belize and US very frequently. I began carrying people in their vehicles with mascotas in exchange for room and board along the way. Then I ran into a situation north of Soto La Marina where I made a pact with God that if he carried me out of this situation unharmed, I promised never to do it again and so I haven't. Back then, the cuota roads totaled about $200 USD. I always got a kick how the change that is given at one toll booth would not be accepted at the next toll booth if a bill had a tear, so I learned to never accept a torn bill. You were talking about the road situation and how things can change drastically. January 2006, we were in a Dodge Ram pulling a 34' pontoon loaded down. Just north of Tampico, we were on a detour road across a one lane levy that was a toll. After sweet hubby realized the change was incorrect, I teased him, "Well, where do you want to turn around?" At the end of the levy, the road went to crap and we thought surely that we had been misdirected, ambling through a local colonia at a very slow pace. A beautiful and very engaging young woman jumped onto the truck sidestep on my hubby's side [driver's side], hanging on the side mirror, and asked if we were looking for company. He didn't speak any Spanish at the time and he was confused. I told her in Spanish, hello first (of course) and then told her thanks very much, but we just passing through trying to get to Veracruz. She immediately switched hats (literally, moving the bill of her baseball cap from the front to reverse) from a possible evening companion to a local tour guide and her transport escort service was much appreciated.

@TrulyRemarkableLife

2 ай бұрын

Wow! What a story!! Thank you for sharing!! :-)

Dust and shower pressure were the winners.

@TrulyRemarkableLife

2 ай бұрын

🤣 The struggle is real! 🤣

Thanks for sharing! We all know that nothing is perfect so don't feel bad if there is something that you don't like about a place and talk about it. That doesn't mean that the place is bad, just that there is an element there that you don't like, you are not putting it down, just being honest. As Craig mentioned, something that he finds as a negative (the small-town feeling) may be a positive to someone else. You guys are awesome!

@TrulyRemarkableLife

3 ай бұрын

Absolutely.... we all have different wants and needs. The great thing is that there is so much variety here that we forget the inconveniences sometimes.

Another great Truly Remarkable video! Glad you brought up the dust, because that definitely sounds like something it will be nice to know you’re going to deal with so you can psych up. When I lived in San Diego it was so dry, hand lotion and lip balm had to be with me at all times. Is it like that there?

@TrulyRemarkableLife

3 ай бұрын

Yes during dry months... youll want sunscreen & hats, lotion and lip balm, and but spray (Off/etc) for wet season

@Rennygade1

3 ай бұрын

@@TrulyRemarkableLife Preparation is everything. Thank you guys! 😘

I live on the top floor of my building and my tinaco is just above me - not a whole lot of pressure (the shower dripped instead of sprayed). I bought a fairly inexpensive on-demand pump from Home Depot. Turn on the water and a second or two later boom - pressure. Ideal? No, but it's very workable. And during our summers (Mazatlán), I just wait until 10am to take a shower and the tinaco water is very warm - I turn off the hot water thank. Toll roads - the toll also gets you the free roadside assistance if you have car trouble; for me that would be worth it (but I take the bus, so ...). I only have two 'don't love it' things ... One is the summer heat. I knew about it before I moved, and I'm fine with it compared to the constant overcast & drizzle in Seattle where I'm from - but it would be nice if it didn't happen :) The second is my disappointment in myself for not sticking to a real learning process that's going to improve my Spanish. Duolingo is good for vocabulary (and I'm up to 1980 consecutive days using it), but the classroom learning environment - even if just online, is much better for getting that goal achieved and I've been a little lazy ;) ¡Gracias por el video!

@TrulyRemarkableLife

3 ай бұрын

Great feedback! I've heard of folks adding or upgrading a pump! Thanks for sharing.

Family is a big one, and it really hit me during COVID in China/HK. I've missed every important holiday, every wedding, and every birth my friends and family have experienced during that time. I recently calculated how many days I have been away from home. In the past 1,982 days that I have been in Asia, I have only seen my family 40 days. That number was of course zero for about 6 years. The ten days I got with my twin recently were great, but of course it would be ideal to see the whole family in my own country. I think having an easy way to see family makes such a huge difference abroad and something I'm working towards post-PhD. It's good you at least have a closer geographic connection to America which enables this. The comments you made about the "cruise ship" resonate with my own experience living in different countries (I call these "expat islands" so I guess the analogy is similar). Places that are built towards accommodating expats are a double-edged sword. One one hand, it can make life much easier. On the other, it does remove you to a degree from the reality of the country you live in, so I always suggest exploring beyond those places for people who are new to living abroad. Technology has definitely bridged the gap in some positive and negative ways. The big one as you mention is having the networks of people who can help you acclimate to a new country. I didn't really have that in some cities and it made a huge difference.

@TrulyRemarkableLife

3 ай бұрын

Great commentary! You make some great points!

@TrulyRemarkableLife

3 ай бұрын

Thanks, man! You get the being a foreigner in a foreign land. So much to learn and absorb! Hope to see you again soon!! KJ

Great Video Guys. We live in San Nicolas, and one negative is getting consistent water (garrafons) delivered. We just kind of go with the flow and if necessary just go buy at the OXXO. I would add getting use to all the street dogs can be a negative as it breaks my heart to see them.

@TrulyRemarkableLife

3 ай бұрын

YES.. we hope to do a video about the dog culture here. It's a unique situation and lots of people work very hard to help find homes.

@tanischwarz1053

3 ай бұрын

and the roof dogs ):

@TrulyRemarkableLife

3 ай бұрын

@@tanischwarz1053 OH yessss! Roof dogs are funny!

When in Ajijic I have guacamole, and queso fundido (cheese fondu) and beer for breakfast, lunch and dinner.........what"s the problem?? lol

@TrulyRemarkableLife

3 ай бұрын

Been there. Done that. Just not forever. Lol

I heard a lot of people leave the country in April and May because of all the dust and the smoke from agricultural burning around the country. True?

@TrulyRemarkableLife

2 ай бұрын

We can only speak for Lakeside, but the snowbirds usually leave March-April. April & May are popular times for full-timers to travel because they are the hottest, driest months.

This was great, guys -- thanks. I'm retirement-age and speak Spanish pretty well, thinking about a move to ... idunno, maybe Tlaquepaque?

@TrulyRemarkableLife

3 ай бұрын

Tlaquepaque is really great. There a lot of people in Guadalajara, Zopopam and Tlaquepaque who love it.

I'm glad to hear you love the area. I was wondering why you didn't consider the coastal towns??? I mean I'm not the most gorgeous thing in a bikini!!! But I was thinking about Huatulco. I work online so I thought the coast might be nice. Never considered Ajijic or anywhere in the mountainous regions. I guess you do have the HUGE lake there.

@TrulyRemarkableLife

3 ай бұрын

Climate wise we wanted more moderate climate. Plus we just fell in love with Ajijic.

Another great video! Does the quality, availability, price or features for Internet service fall in either the positive or negative camp? I'm sure you've had a lot of experience, but not sure how it's been. I was surprised to see different content available even on KZread when we were in Ajijic vs when we're at home. I knew I'd see different Netflix options. Anything else like that which has been notable and perhaps not what you'd hoped?

@TrulyRemarkableLife

3 ай бұрын

Honestly we have excellent internet. I'm not sure of the speeds .... That's kJs deal. Haha. . And yes.... allll of your youtube commercials are in spanish here. Sometimes.... there are outages of electric, internet, or cell services once in a while. Not usually very long but can be more frequent at wet or hot times.

Hi guys! So happy I found your page! My partner and I bought a home near La Manzanilla. We are wondering if you guys applied for residency together as a common law couple?

@TrulyRemarkableLife

2 ай бұрын

Yes. We are married. However we both qualified individually so it wasn't necessary to do a marriage qualification.

@carstenginsburg4014

2 ай бұрын

@@TrulyRemarkableLife cool. We have joint bank accounts so we kind of have to apply as a couple.

The loud fire crackers in November and December are the only things that really get on my nerves and frighten my dogs beyond words. Everything else is fabulous.

@TrulyRemarkableLife

3 ай бұрын

YEAH... We forgot to mention that but it really doesnt bother us anymore. I think we have become immune. And before he passed our dog was hard of hearing ... but it is definitely a concern for many. It isn't nearly as bad away from centro or on the hillside.

What about the condition of the lake? I heard it is really low, green with algae and smells. I was planning to come for 3 months this summer to escape the heat of Mazatlan, but now I’m not sure.

@TrulyRemarkableLife

2 ай бұрын

The Lake isn't a "swimmimg" lake... and yes the water is very low. But it also doesnt hinder anything for us.

@roundpaws

2 ай бұрын

@@TrulyRemarkableLife yes I understand it isn’t swimable. Just wondering if it is still pleasant to walk along it or if the smell makes it not pleasant

@TrulyRemarkableLife

2 ай бұрын

I haven't found it to be bad. The rains should be starting mid-June and that will change it up too. -KJ

@TrulyRemarkableLife

2 ай бұрын

@roundpaws ah... I have found it very pleasant. The only smells ive experienced is along a couple drainage ditches. But it is not the entire thing. The Lake is low now and may run lower as the season goes... so I cant attest to that scenario of course. But so far it has not been unpleasant. Theres always a lot of people out and about along the Lake. -Craig

@roundpaws

2 ай бұрын

@@TrulyRemarkableLife thank you for the insight

I’ll have to private message you on Facebook, but eventually I was hoping to send you a package. Would love to come down for a visit but I unfortunately don’t see that happening anytime soon. I wondered about mail. I remember as a kid sending air mail letters to a friend in Africa but I figured things have changed a lot since then.

@TrulyRemarkableLife

3 ай бұрын

That's really nice! Send me a private message via our Truly Remarkable Life Facebook page. It's the best way to reach us. And yes... mail service is almost non-existent here in Mexico but many people use private delivery like DHL, Fed Ex etc.

The caty gay boys at the bar always wanting you to buy them a drink?

@TrulyRemarkableLife

3 ай бұрын

Actually it is the opposite... people will buy you drinks.

@TrulyRemarkableLife

2 ай бұрын

Nah. If anything they buy the drinks.