Lakeside British Society
The next Lakeside British Society lunch is Saturday, November 5, 1 p.m. at Manix Restaurant when Eduardo Ramos will be the featured speaker.
Stroll back in time with Ajijic historian Ramos. As a child he collected stories of Ajijic from the senior generation and has been instrumental in reviving many lost traditions in this pueblo.
Ramos is the director of the Ajijic Passion Play, the Verbena, Battle of the Flowers and probably a lot of other events you never knew existed. He is a wealth of information about Ajijic, from pre-hispanic times to the modern day. Curious about Ajijic? Ask Eduardo.
The menu is zucchini flower soup or a small salad, meat pie, gravy and chips or fish with almond sauce and rice, or pasta primavera with a large salad. Dessert is strawberry shortcake. The cost is 135 pesos (not including tip). Manix is at Ocampo 57 in Ajijic, and has parking available on an adjacent lot.
For menu information and reservations call Arlene, 766-1742 or Sue, 766-0847, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Visitors are welcome.
Open Circle
David Bryen presents “Our Battle Between War and Peace” at Open Circle on Sunday, November 6, 10:30 a.m. in the garden of the Lake Chapala Society.
Most thoughtful people who say they seek peace and are opposed to war acknowledge that war may be justified against those who threaten them, or to protect life, culture, property and sacred beliefs. War is the ultimate expression of the forces of human violence that underlie all the conflicts that threaten the survival of our world, dominate our politics, destroy our relationships and put us at odds inside ourselves. Exploring the complex paradoxes of war and the operation of these forces on an individual and global scale may be our most relevant moral responsibility, helping us understand Pogo’s meaning when he said, “We have met the enemy and he is us.”
David Bryen currently serves as Open Circle’s coordinator. Before retiring to Ajijic he practiced as a Jungian-oriented psychotherapist and marriage counselor. He built his own home, is a published poet, author, carpenter and avid motorcyclist.
For more information, see opencircleajijic.org.
Voices of Chapala
To celebrate the anniversary of the foundation of Chapala, three distinguished speakers from Guadalajara will be delivering a series of lectures at the Hotel Real de Chapala. These lectures are part of the cultural activities taking place during the International Festival of Latin American Music. All of the lectures will be free and start at 5 p.m. There will be a simultaneous English translation.
Zaida Cristina Reynoso Camacho is Professor of Literature at the University of Guadalajara. Her lecture on Monday, November 7 is entitled “40 years of Literature in Chapala.”
Tuesday, November 8, architect Juan Palomar will give a talk on “The Landscape and Architecture of Chapala.”
Finally, Thursday November 10, professor Juan Jose Doñan, whose family have been long-time residents, will talk about living at Lakeside.
Yoga retreat
Latika Pierrette Claude will hold a yoga retreat, “Atman Kama, Pleasures of the Soul,” November 7-12 at the Heart of Awareness Buddhist Sanga located at Guadalupe Victoria 101 in Ajijic. The retreat will focus on the five senses, include yoga and meditation, trips to local farm markets, a vegan lunch and cooking demonstration and a soak in San Juan Cosala’s thermal waters. For more information, contact Claude at (376) 106-2131 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
US election night
Democrats Abroad holds an election night extravaganza at Club Exotica, on the Plaza in Ajijic, Tuesday, November 8, 7:30 p.m. Widescreen projection of CNN International’s coverage of the event will be teamed with snacks and a cash bar. Cost is 50 pesos.
Canadian Club
Luis Enrique Ramos will talk about how to protect the mountain range along the north shore of Lake Chapala by producing marked trails at the next meeting of the Canadian Club, Wednesday, November 9, 3 p.m. at La Nueva Posada.
Ramos is a notary specializing in water law. Learn who owns the mountains of Ajijic, what their relationship to the lake is and how this could bring economic development to the area. See www.canadianclubmx.com for more information.
LCS Zoo bus trip
The Lake Chapala Society is sponsoring a bus trip to the Guadalajara Zoo, Wednesday, November 9. Tickets (370 pesos for members, 420 pesos non-members) include bus transportation, a train ride, the safari and aquatic shows, and are on sale at the LCS service desk. A ride on the cable car is an extra 43 pesos.
The bus will leave from the sculpture in La Floresta promptly at 9 a.m. and depart the Zoo at 3:30 p.m.
Emergency surgery
Mama’s Bar is holding a fundraiser for the member a local family of limited means who needs emergency surgery. The event is Wednesday, November 9, 3 p.m. at Gonzalez Gallo 86 in San Antonio Tlayacapan. The 100 pesos per person donation will get you a BBQ pork sandwich and potato salad. All donations are welcome. Reservations: 766-3536.
Marine Corps bash
The 241st birthday of the U.S. Marine Corps will be celebrated Thursday, November 10 at La Nueva Posada (Donato Guerra 9, Ajijic).
The event begins at 1 p.m. with cocktails and stories. Lunch and cake is served from 2 p.m. The cost of 210 pesos includes salad, bolillo bread, a “combined plate” featuring different foods, dessert and tip. Beverages are not included. Dress is smart casual.
R.S.V.P by Tuesday, November 1. Email Annie Green-Nast at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., or call (376) 766-5243.
Lakeside Singles
The next mixer for the Lakeside Singles is Thursday, November 10, 4-6 p.m. at Mama’s Bar, Gonzalez Gallo 86 in San Antonio Tlayacapan. If you plan to attend email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Remembrance Day
Stephane Charbonneau, the Canadian Consul and Senior Trade Commissioner in Guadalajara, and L.Col. Loic Roy, Canadian Deputy Defense Attaché in Mexico, will be the honored guests at the Remembrance Day service conducted Friday, November 11, 10:30 a.m. The ceremony is presented by two Lake Chapala organizations: the 904 Wing of The Royal Canadian Air Force Association and the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 1.
The event commemorating this special day is open to the public. Guests should plan to arrive early and must be seated by 10:30 a.m. at the property of the Sisters of the Order of Benedictinas Del Santisimo Sacramento, located approximately 300 meters north of the of the Carretera on Calle Jesus Garcia Norte. The street is located across the Carretera from Panino’s Deli. A sign will be posted on the corner.
Following the service there will be a barbecue catered by Manix Restaurant with music by DJ Phil and Brenda. Cocktails begin at noon and the buffet will open at 1 p.m. A limited number of tickets are available at 250 pesos and must be pre purchased ahead of the event at Diane Pearl.
Veterans Day
The American Legion Chapala Post Seven invites one and all to celebrate Veterans Day/Remembrance Day ceremonies at the post November 11, 10:55 a.m. A social hour will follow at 1 p.m. and dinner of pit-roast pig, baked beans, corn on the cob, ice cream sundae begins 2 p.m. Live entertainment is planned. Tickets are 180 pesos. Poppy sales will be available. Post Seven is located at Calle Morelos 114 in Chapala. Telephone: 765-2259.
Keep those doggies moving
The “Ranch” will hold a “Crate Expectations” fundraiser to help send some of their dogs to new homes in Washington State.
The event takes place at the Iron Horse Saloon, Hidalgo 78 in Riberas), across from Mom’s Deli & Restaurant, on Sunday November 13, 4-7 p.m.
Tickets, at 300 pesos, include a pig roast, sides, desserts, a 50/50 raffle, silent auction and music by Daniel Cordero.
Reservations can be made at 766-4738 or 376-108-1439 (afternoon only).
The Ranch needs crates and/or funds for adoption transport. Medium to large, airline-approved crates are preferred, but other types will be accepted. Donations of old towels for the crates are also welcomed.
Lakeside Singers
The Lakeside Singers will hold another sing-along at OHANA’s rest home in San Juan Cosala Wednesday, November 16, 4:30 p.m. After the event, dinner will be enjoyed at Pizzeria Toscana, across from the Auditorio de la Ribera in Ajijic, at about 6 p.m. Come and stretch your vocal chords. For more information, contact Belva Velazquez at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Home Tours
The School for Special Children begins their “Behind the Walls” monthly home tours of some of Lakeside’s most beautiful residences beginning Thursday, November 17. Pick up your tickets (200 pesos or 1,200 pesos for the season) at Diane Pearl or Charter Club Tours and at the Ajijic Pier on the day of the tour (if there are any tickets left). Proceeds help fund the Lakeside school’s important work with special children.
Spay and Neuter clinics
To reduce animal suffering, Operación Amor organizes and holds free dog and cat sterilization clinics for the Mexican community and others of limited means. To date, more than 2,000 pets have been sterilized. For more information, or if you would like to donate energy or funds, contact Cameron Peters at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Cookbook
The Culinary Arts Society of Ajijic is offering a limited edition of 100 copies of their 30th anniversary cookbook, which includes 260 winning recipes from the club’s 2006-2016 monthly presentations. A pre-order price of 300 pesos is offered. Get your copy at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Jaltepec Christmas dinner
Jaltepec Centro Educativo, lakeside’s only hotel and culinary school for women, will host its annual festive Christmas fund-raising dinner on Tuesday, November 29, and luncheon on Wednesday, November 30.
A no-host bar, complimentary hors d’oeuvres will be followed by a taste of Los Cantantes del Lago’s upcoming Christmas concert under the musical direction of Timothy G. Ruff Welch. A full roast turkey dinner with all the trimmings, followed by a starter course and dessert, will be prepared and served by the students for the benefit of the students. Dinner tickets are 650 pesos and the luncheon event costs 550 pesos.
For more information or to make reservations, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call Linda Buckthorp at 766-1631.
Toys for Tots
American Legion Post Three in Chapala joins with Los Gueros motorcycle club for the third annual Toy Run to benefit the children of Mezcala. The event will be held Saturday, December 17, beginning with a breakfast at 10 a.m. at the Legion.
Both cars and motorcycles from any clubs or single riders are welcome to join in the procession. Drop off any toy donations at Iron Horse Saloon, Just Chillin’ “Baby,” Adelidas Bar and Grill, Mama’s Bar or the Lake Chapala Society. Monetary donations can be left at Legion headquarters or Just Chillin’ before December 15. The toy run depart from the Mezcala Plaza at noon.
Buddhists
The Heart of Awareness Buddhist Sangha meets weekly on Wednesdays. Noble Silence begins at 3:30 p.m., followed at 4 p.m. by a formal meditation period, dharma teachings and discussion. Wednesday, November 9, the meditation period will be followed by a segment of a Tricycle Retreat with Sharon Salzberg, teaching on The Five Hindrances, obstacles that arise in meditation. The video will be followed by a brief presentation on regular opportunities for participation at the Heart of Awareness.
The center is open for hour-long silent meditation periods Sunday and Monday, from 9 to 10 a.m. and Thursday from 11 a.m. to noon.
A yoga class suitable for all levels of experience is offered at Heart of Awareness on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 9 to 11 am. There will be no class on Wednesday, November 9, because of a yoga retreat.
The sangha is at Guadalupe Victoria 101 in Ajijic. For further information, visit heartofawareness.org, or call Janet Reichert at (331) 043-4669.