If tranquility were a person, she would make her home in Ajijic, a small puebla on the north shore of Lake Chapala in Jalisco. Surrounded by lush, green mountains to the east, west and north, and Mexico’s largest lake to the south, Ajijic’s placement makes it home to one of the world’s most pleasing climates year-round. From the moment you step off the bus, your tensions simply slip away.
The town has a population of maybe 1500 people and the streets are cobbled and narrow. Getting around on horseback appears to be almost as popular a mode of transportation as using a car (the majority of which sport the license plates of American/Canadian ex-pats looking for a reasonably-priced escape from less-amiable climes). All of the buildings are painted in bright blues, oranges and pinks and the inhabitants have achieved a new level of relaxation. Of course, they are also unfailingly hospitable. A impressive church, pale yellow and built in the Spanish style, sits at one end of a broad pedestrian street where a market featuring the work of local artisans comes to life on the weekends. From there, one can wander into the town square and find ice cream vendors, small restaurants and a garden of roses with benches for those interested in stopping to smell them.
On my last night in Ajijic, I heard music playing not too far away from my apartment ($18 USD a night!) and went to investigate with one of the girls I accompanied on the trip. The sound, thrown against the backdrop of the mountains, created the most unbelievable acoustics I had ever heard. We stumbled on band practice for a local group: eighteen people with everything from tubas to clarinets to bongos. It was an almost deafening experience, but the joyful spirit of the music was contagious and there was a smile on every face. The rehearsal was being held in someone’s backyard—a hard-packed dirt area twice the size of the average garage, surrounded by high stonewalls. They hung their sheet music from the clotheslines and appeared to let the music itself be their conductor, as I couldn’t spot any obvious leader. Somehow, though, the melody persevered.
I am continually impressed by how simplicity is celebrated here in Mexico and life is based on the philosophy that if you are good natured and open-minded, the possibilities for merriment are absolutely without limit.
The town has a population of maybe 1500 people and the streets are cobbled and narrow. Getting around on horseback appears to be almost as popular a mode of transportation as using a car (the majority of which sport the license plates of American/Canadian ex-pats looking for a reasonably-priced escape from less-amiable climes). All of the buildings are painted in bright blues, oranges and pinks and the inhabitants have achieved a new level of relaxation. Of course, they are also unfailingly hospitable. A impressive church, pale yellow and built in the Spanish style, sits at one end of a broad pedestrian street where a market featuring the work of local artisans comes to life on the weekends. From there, one can wander into the town square and find ice cream vendors, small restaurants and a garden of roses with benches for those interested in stopping to smell them.
On my last night in Ajijic, I heard music playing not too far away from my apartment ($18 USD a night!) and went to investigate with one of the girls I accompanied on the trip. The sound, thrown against the backdrop of the mountains, created the most unbelievable acoustics I had ever heard. We stumbled on band practice for a local group: eighteen people with everything from tubas to clarinets to bongos. It was an almost deafening experience, but the joyful spirit of the music was contagious and there was a smile on every face. The rehearsal was being held in someone’s backyard—a hard-packed dirt area twice the size of the average garage, surrounded by high stonewalls. They hung their sheet music from the clotheslines and appeared to let the music itself be their conductor, as I couldn’t spot any obvious leader. Somehow, though, the melody persevered.
I am continually impressed by how simplicity is celebrated here in Mexico and life is based on the philosophy that if you are good natured and open-minded, the possibilities for merriment are absolutely without limit.
2 comments:
Hi - I am sure you are glad to see this comment on your blog. Welcome! I too am one of the millions of bloggers who haven't got (m)any comments. Pass on this favour!
Good luck with your very interesting blog.
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Hi again! I am not sure you can let us hear the music but maybe you can put more pictures on this blog no? Would love to see more paisajes and ciudades :)
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