Blog - Focus On Mexico

30 Great Reads on Mexican Migration and Culture

Are you considering moving to Lakeside for the next stage of your life? Would you like to read up on the history of Mexican migration and Mexican culture on both sides of the border? You're in luck because Judy King, a longtime Lakeside resident who regularly teaches classes locally on various topics relating to Mexico and its culture, has agreed to share her list of best reads on Mexican migration and culture with us. There is something on this list for every reader, from serious hard core reporting (The Devil's Highway) to memoir (Kissing the Virgin's Mouth), to light hearted fun … [Read more...]

Can You Afford It?

Living costs are a moving target everywhere in the world and Lakeside is no exception. Jerry Brown and his wife, Lori, are local expats with their own YouTube Channel, Jerry Brown Travels. Recently they reviewed their current monthly household costs for living in Ajijic. Check it out for yourself and see if Lakeside living might be in your future. Also see our comprehensive article on the local cost of living and come to one of our week long learning seminars to plan your own budget and get your specific budget planning questions answered. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqRgjzfp0LI … [Read more...]

In Case of Emergency Will You Make It In Time?

The bad news is that despite the excellent medical care available Lakeside, in case of a sudden life-threatening medical emergency or trauma, transportation from the Lake Chapala area to one of the private hospitals in Guadalajara can take anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour or more depending on traffic, wasting precious time during the 'golden hour' when there is the highest likelihood that prompt medical treatment will prevent death. The good news is that on March 17, 2018 ground was broken for the new Ribera Medical Center scheduled to open in late 2019, that will offer private services … [Read more...]

Lake Chapala’s Town of Eternal Spring

Michael Nuschke, the owner of Focus on Mexico, is a long time resident of Halifax, Nova Scotia, where he and his Nova Scotian wife Rhonda still spend over five months a year. This week the Chronicle Herald's online Halifax Citizen published an article entitled, The Town of The Eternal Spring by Halifax travel writer and travel consultant Bruce Bishop. "It seems like an unassuming, fairly typical, small Mexican town (with a population of 10,000+). A 45-minutes drive south of Guadalajara, its unique climate at 1,538 meters above sea level and nestled on the shores of the largest freshwater … [Read more...]

State of the Lake/Mexico 2018 Quick Facts

Dr. Todd Stong is a licensed professional civil engineer who has served for the past 14 years in Jalisco state as a volunteer engineer adviser to local area governments. Dr. Stong focuses on water quality and management and job creation in the 42 villages around Lake Chapala. The following is a brief summary of his annual update to an overflow audience in Ajijic on March 4, 2018: Three "good" things to report about the state of the Lake: Lake volume and quality is very good despite the fact that the lake will never be full in our lifetimes due to Guadalajara water usage High … [Read more...]