Turismo

So far in 2022, Lake Chapala has lost 26 cm (about 10 ¼ inches) of water. According to data from the National Water Commission, Lake Chapala is at about 72% of its capacity, as of February 14th.

During the last rainy season, Lake Chapala gained 1.90 meters (about 75 inches), reaching 75.69% of its capacity; the level began dropping on December 18th.

Translated by Amy Esperanto

Casa Comunal of Ajijic is located at Galeana #289

Sofia Medeles(Ajijic).– The president of the Indigenous Community of Axixic, or CIA, Margarito Rojas Mora, clarified that the remodeling of the Casa Comunal is being done primarily in order to protect the collections and to provide a more comfortable space for the community member meetings.

In addition, the property, located at Hermenegildo Galeana #289, will be able to be used as an event hall by the members of the CIA. 

The hall can also be rented out for parties upon request, with the intention of generating resources for the organization. Finally, Margarito Rojas reiterated that the money received was distributed to the community members and the rest was used for the remodeling.

Translated by Colleen Beery

The portal contains fact sheets about the fauna present at Lake Chapala, one of them being the American White Pelican. Photo: Farid Bak. 

Editor.- The Program “Bosques+Agua+Gente para Chapala” (Forests+ Water+ People of Chapala) has created a website about Lake Chapala and its environmental importance to the region. 

The website’s goal is to inform the public about the wonders of, and challenges to, the Lake Chapala basin. This digital space presents clear, organized and solidly sourced information, aimed both at the public of the Lake Chapala shore, as well as those of the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area (ZMG).

The website discusses in detail the biological heritage of Lake Chapala. Information and photos are listed about the unique birds, animals, reptiles, fish and mammals found in the region.  Another area of the website discusses the value of vegetation, forests, mountains and groundwater. A chart of the 19 problems that affect the world’s lakes has been posted.  The 15 problems present in the Chapala basin are discussed in detail.   There is a map of the region listing the current projects addressing environmental concerns.  

This website is part of a program to conserve the beauty and natural wealth of the lake.  It will be an important, informative platform for anyone who loves or lives at Lakeside. 

It is funded by the Fondo Mexicano Para Conservacíon de La Naturaleza, A.C; Rio Arronte Fundación and the Corazone de La Tierra Institute de Desarrollo Ambiental.

The address for the website is www.lagodechapala.org. It is in Spanish only, but can be viewed in English with a Chrome browser and Google Translate plug-in.

Translated by Nita Rudy

María Alcalá Ortiz fue coronada como la reina del Carnaval Chapala 2022 durante la noche del 25 de febrero.

D.Arturo Ortega.- María Alcalá Ortíz fue coronada como la reina del Carnaval Chapala 2022 el pasado 25 de febrero en el Lienzo Charro, J. Jesús González Gallo, de la cabecera municipal. 

La reina del Carnaval 2020 – 2021, María Fernanda Ochoa Cárdenas cedió la corona a la nueva representante de los festejos, ante poco más de 300 personas; además de la presencia del alcalde, Alejandro de Jesús Aguirre Curiel quien acudió acompañado de la presidente del DIF, Erika Erín Torres Herrera.

María Alcalá, Anahí Mora y Esmeralda de la Torre fueron las candidatas del certamen de este año.

Fue la noche del 25 en la que María Alcalá, Esmeralda de la Torre y Anahí Mora fueron confirmadas como las candidatas del certamen, luego de varias nominaciones que surgieron en las diferentes redes sociales.

Luego de la presentación y dos pasarelas en el que las participantes lucieron un atuendo casual blanco y uno de noche en el que María lució su belleza en un vestido rojo que; el jurado deliberó a favor de la nueva reina de la fiesta más grande de Chapala.

Las Sayacas bailaron e interactuaron con espectadores en múltiples ocasiones durante el recorrido.

Redacción.- Luego de un año de ausencia y por motivos de la pandemia, el carnaval regresó al Pueblo Mágico de Ajijic con todo su colorido, creatividad y tradición, por lo que Semanario Laguna te comparte una galería de imágenes de Sofía Medeles que muestran cómo han sido los primeros tres días del Carnaval que en ausencia de los carros alegóricos, las Sayacas y Sayacos se han lucido como nunca.  

Cómo es tradición, decenas de jóvenes «cucaron» a las Sayacas con tal de que los «polvearan» con harina.

Desde el inicio hasta el fin del desfile, las Sayacas bailaron luciendo sus trajes multicolores.

Hay Sayacas que lucen coloridas faldas, son muy coquetas y se lucen bailando como las que se presentaron durante el tercer día de desfile.     

Los y las jinetes también son parte importante para que un desfile sea tradicional.

Durante el desfile del Martes de Carnaval, las sayacas, personaje principal del festejo, arrojan harina y confeti a los espectadores. Foto: Carnaval del año 2019 (Archivo).

Sofía Medeles.- A pesar de las modificaciones impuestas por las autoridades sanitarias para combatir la pandemia del Covid-19, el Carnaval de Ajijic conservará el horario y ruta habitual de las celebraciones. 

El encargado de despacho, Maximiliano “Max” Macías Arceo, informó que solo habrá tres días de festejos: los recorridos del 27 y 28 de febrero y el desfile de Martes de Carnaval el primero de marzo.

El domingo y el lunes, las sayacas, personaje principal de la festividad, saldrán a las 11:00 de la mañana de la casa de la familia Campos, ubicada en la calle Hermenegildo Galeana entre Zaragoza y Ocampo. 

El contingente tomará las calles Zaragoza, Álvaro Obregón y Ocampo, hasta llegar a los carriles de La Floresta, en el oriente de la población. Por decisión de la Asociación de Charros y para evitar aglomeraciones, este año se omitirá el “toro de once” y el recibimiento o refresco, eventos que también forman parte de la tradición.

Por otro lado, el desfile del Martes de Carnaval iniciaría igualmente a las 11:00 de la mañana en los carriles, atravesando el pueblo por Ocampo, pasando por la plazoleta de las Seis Esquinas, tomando Hidalgo para terminar en la plaza principal de Ajijic.

Asimismo, Max Macías compartió que al menos se contará con la participación de diez carros alegóricos, sin descartar que pudieran sumarse otros. 

“Pocos se inscribieron, pero me hicieron saber de sus participaciones. Según el orden de inscripción se acomodarán los carros del desfile, esto para mantener un orden”, agregó. 

Además, pidió a los asistentes del desfile usar cubrebocas, así como tratar de dispersar los tumultos en cuanto pase el desfile.

“La Mesa de Salud (de Jalisco), puso restricciones y lejos de ignorarlas, hay que hacer esfuerzo por seguirlas. Estamos reviviendo poco a poco las tradiciones y queremos hacer las cosas bien”, concluyó el encargado de despacho de Ajijic.

By Patrick O’Heffernan

The sunsets have been spectacular this week.  A combination of clouds – some of which actually brought rain –  and the  position of the sun this time of year all came together to create the flaming skies and the silver linings.  The sunsets turn the lake a color of blue that can only be seen on an open body of water for a few  minutes while  the sun sets.  As I look out over the lake from my balcony and enjoy the luminous demonstration of nature’s artistry. I can’t help but think about how lucky we are to live in this beautiful place.

After sundown, the social  beauty of Mexico emerges  – the parties in the eventos, the high school band practicing two blocks over with the out of tune tuba, the recuerdos emanating from the giant speakers of my neighbor’s son’s car as he and his friends gather for beer and conversation.

I love the  tables that come out onto the sidewalks  around 7 pm for family dinners. And I especially love the grills or portable stoves on the sidewalk firing up while the abuelas sit at their table and play Loteria as the daughters and daughters -in-law cook delicious things in the sidewalk kitchen.

As  I walk down my street into Ajijic, I pass about 5 tiendas built out of the living rooms of homes, and 4 sidewalk restaurants (one with indoor seating!). “ Buenas noches” the neighbors say as I walk by, and I can’t resist stopping  and sniffing.  “Hueles delicioso!” I reply. “Probar” the mujer behind the stove or the grill orders me (I know it is an offer, but…maybe not) so often   I do take a taste.  Despite my bad Spanish,  the people  on the street talk with me.  They know who I am through my next door neighbor, a Mexicana who knows everyone and everything on the block,  and my friend Chui who owns part of the block and who built us our Christmas tree in his taller last year.

Of course, everyone has a boom box, either inside the house or under the table or beside a parked car.  Mostly traditional Mexican music – recuerdos, banda, Mexican pop and  rap, and some 70’s rock and roll. The children sit on the curb, bounce to the music and giggle while they look at their phones.  The young men, back from construction jobs, sit next to them, drinking beer, swapping stories and sports scores and occasionally looking at the phone games the children are playing, giving advice.

Often an old man on a bicycle rides by (up the hill on cobblestones!!) on his way home and a chorus of “buenas noches”  follows him. The horse and rider who live around the corner come down to the tienda for beer, and the rider goes inside for his big boy Corona while the kids pet his horse hitched outside.  I think he is really flirting with the daughter of the woman who runs the store, at least that is the gossip.

 I understand  that  not everyone has a  life in Lakeside  with  beautiful sunsets and chatty families dining al fresco on the sidewalk.  Chapala was one of 22 counties in Jalisco that saw an increase in poverty since the last census.  I don’t understand that, given the steady income brought in by the retired Expats, the constant construction all around us, the traffic day and night.  It is something I hope we at Laguna can look into, to find out why Chapala ranked high on the poverty scale in Jalisco and maybe find  some insight into what can be done to reverse it.  But for now, the sunset is stunning, the aromas from the sidewalk are mouth-watering , and the music is cranking up.

 Eva Longoria tomándose una foto en Mezcala de la Asunción. Foto: cortesía.

Redacción.- La actriz mexico-estadounidense Eva Longoria estuvo de visita en Mezcala de la Asunción, en el lago de Chapala.  

El motivo de su visita el mediodía del 24 de febrero, se debe a que Longoria se encuentra trabajando en un proyecto para grabar Searching for Mexico, serie que trata acerca de la comida mexicana y se estrenará a finales de este año. 

En su visita a la ribera, la actriz estuvo en el restaurante el Paraje Insurgente y grabó algunas escenas en la isla de Mezcala. 

En días pasados, Eva Longoria también fue captada comiéndose una torta ahogada en la ciudad de Guadalajara, y es que para realizar la serie la actriz recorrerá gran parte del territorio nacional. 

The work to place the new one took SIMAPA workers two days. Photo: Ramón Ramírez.

Sofía Medeles (Ajijic).- The sewage leak at the end of Niños Héroes Street, a few meters from the boardwalk, was finally repaired by personnel from the Municipal System of Potable Water and Sewage (SIMAPA Ajijic) after a year and half of leaks. 

The water main, which had been leaking for over 18 months, took two days to  repair;  the work began last Monday, February 14, and concluded the next day. The workers found that the   problem was the collector, which collapsed just a few meters from the manhole.

SIMAPA Ajijic Director Timoteo Aldana Perez said  that it was a hard work for the agency employees, who from day 1 worked from early in the morning until approximately 11 at night to remove the broken collector -which was at a depth of approximately 2.5 meters-, and install  a new one, as well as drain the pipes.

Aldana Pérez explained that it took time to replace the pipe due to its weight  and because of the soil that had leaked, causing the pipe to break. They also had to clean the debris  in the pipe which included shoes, clothes and sanitary napkins; in addition to connecting the PVC pipe with the concrete one.

«We hope it will no longer cause inconvenience. Now that it has been  opened for the first time we realized that the collectors are very old.  They have at least 30 years of use but they are in good condition and could last up to five or six more years.  Even  so, the municipal authorities should take action to modify the collector,”  he said.

The repair was welcomed by residents of the delegation who, through social networks, applauded the initiative of SIMAPA workers to solve the problem that has plagued them since 2020. 

Timoteo Aldana also  thanked the workers and I announced that they will continue with the maintenance and drainage  of the collector on an annual basis, to avoid further sewage spillage.

Translated by Patrick O’Heffernan

Sayacas are the main characters of the Ajijic Carnival parade. Photo: The tradition of Ajijic, 2020.

Sofía Medeles (Ajjic).- The  Ajijic carnival will return. After a yearlong absence, but with changes . Chapala President Alejandro de Jesús Aguirre Curiel confirmed through his social networks the return of the carnival, however, it will  be smaller and have different events. 

Charros Association President Ernesto Pérez Reyes said that an agreement was reached not to hold the traditional «toro de once»nor the «recibimiento» (reception), as they want to avoid crowds.  However Ajijic Acting Delegado Maximiliano Macías Arceo confirmed that the traditional Carnival Tuesday parade will be held this year and called upon residents to register to participate. 

Macías Arceo said that there will be three days of celebration: Sunday, March 27, Monday, March 28 and Tuesday, March 1. He said that the first two days will see  the Sayacas parade on its usual route; on Tuesday, March 1st, it will follow the same route, but with floats. The parades will start around 11:00 am. 

«The call for the parade is more than just insuring order and controlling the event,” Macías Arceo said, adding that, “ We want to start reviving traditions, but with the best possible (Covid) measures, in the best possible way so as not to spread contagions and to be careful. We hope you will support us by wearing masks, so that everything goes well, and so that the people can enjoy it.”

Macías Arceo urged attendees to be Covid-responsible while attending the event.  «Please, everyone wear your masks, and if someone has symptoms, they should  not attend. Let’s be responsible so we can have a healthy environment this Shrove Tuesday.»

 The announcement of the parade  appears to contravene the  new sanitary measures published by Jalisco Board of Health which prohibits from February 13 to March 15,  and requires  municipalities to submit a protocol for outdoor events  for approval.

Translated  by Patrick O’Heffernan