The other day as I was buzzing down the highway I caught sight of an old horseman keeping watch over a small herd of cows as they grazed on the side the road.

Without a second thought I pulled over, jumped out of the car and pulled out my cell phone to capture one of those “only in Mexico” Kodak moments. Well, I guess iPhone moment is the appropriate term nowadays.

Anyway, I was impelled by a sense that such sights have become increasingly rare as time goes by. The experience prompted a welling up of nostalgia for my early years at lakeside. The good old days when Ajijic was truly a magical place were life was simple and the surroundings entirely picturesque. 

It was a time when few residents owned cars. The milkman delivered fresh leche bronca door-to-door from metal cans strung over the saddle of his horse.  A wizened hunchback sold bundles of firewood loaded on the back of his burro. 

I often mounted my own trusty steed to venture into the village for grocery shopping and daily errands, tying him up to a telephone pole before setting off for rounds on foot.

Fishermen stripped down to shorts or skivvies worked in teams during the first daylight hours to pull their catch from the lake. Later on they hung their giant nets to dry draped over wooden poles stuck in the sand. Heaps of sparking charales were laid out along an entire lane of the road at Piedra Barrenada where there were no more than three or four rustic restaurants set up under simple sheds.  

Leisure time was spent hanging out with friends at home or at the town’s only party spots, the original Posada and El Tejaban. Dining out meant chowing down at El Gordo’s funky taco place on the plaza. Friendly interaction between resident expats and Mexicanos was de rigueur in every setting.

Now and again when I meet newcomers, eyebrows raise when I say I’ve lived here more than 40 years. “Boy, you must have seen a lot of changes,” they often remark.   

That’s for sure.  There’s no way to turn back the clock, so I just try to go with the flow.  I still relish the essence of this place. The easy-going pace of life, centered on family and friendship. Unwinding at traditional fiestas. A shot of good tequila now and again. Glorious sunshine and magnificent lake views around the clock. And the occasional scene that reminds me that authentic Mexico endures.