Blog - Focus On Mexico

Piñatas and Posadas – Christmas in Mexico

Christmas in Mexico is similar yet different from the U.S. depending on what part of the country you live in. Large cities such as Guadalajara tend to have a similar U.S. like frenzied shopping atmosphere, but Christmas in smaller towns and villages is quite distinct. There is much less emphasis on gifts and more emphasis on the family celebrations and traditions surrounding Christmas. I took an informal poll of my ESL students to see what family gifts they were giving for Christmas and was charmed with the simple answers - a bottle of cologne, a shirt, a pair of shoes, a necklace, etc. - … [Read more...]

Focus on Lakeside Healthcare – ChapalaMed

Lakeside is fortunate to have many competent medical professionals, both those who have their practices Lakeside and those who come from Guadalajara for office hours. Dr. Santiago Hernandez is the expert speaker on the local medical system at our FOCUS learning seminars and he graciously agreed to a wide-ranging interview including his medical practice, medical tourism Lakeside, and stem cell therapy. The interview will be published in installments on our site over the next few weeks. First, let's get acquainted with Dr. Hernandez and ChapalaMed. Please tell our readers about your medical … [Read more...]

Finding Lakeside Housing

Renting It's generally a good idea to rent first to become accustomed to the area and get a good idea of what neighborhood you might like to live in on a more permanent basis. See our post Renting a Home in Lake Chapala for more specific information on renting. There are many local rental agencies, each one of which is independently owned and operated, so you may want to contact as many as possible to look for options. As the post referenced above points out. there is no substitute for being here in person to see properties you are interested in as internet pictures do not tell the whole … [Read more...]

Are There Too Many Americans Lakeside?

Whether or not there are too many foreigners living Lakeside is frequently discussed online with varying opinions. This vlog post from the Kinetic Kennons, a young couple who have lived in various Mexico locations and traveled extensively in Mexico for the past three years, is a good discussion of the topic. Although they are talking about Puerto Vallarta, almost exactly the same conditions apply to Lakeside and the size of the foreign population is also similar. One of the best ways to decide whether you think there are too many foreigners here or not is to come down and see for yourself … [Read more...]

Let’s go to the Feria de los Maestros (artisan fair)

The Feria de los Maestros (artisan fair) has been held Lakeside every year on the second week of November for the past 18 years. This is a unique fair which brings the best artisans from every region of Mexico. All sales proceeds go directly to the artisans and there is no charge for booth or commission fees. Transportation is provided and they are hosted by local expat families. Many friendships are developed through the home stays. Participants Planning for the Feria takes most of the year including choosing the artisans through recommendations from local coordinators in each state … [Read more...]