Eye care
The Chapala government will help with half of the cost of a pair of glasses in a program with Opticas Milenium held through Saturday, December 9 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Municipal Plaza.
A free eye exam, adaptation and glasses will be completed on the same day. Glasses from 500 pesos will get a local government return of 250 pesos.
Sunday, December 10, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. the Municipal Clinic will have specialists on hand for diagnosis of cataracts, glaucoma, hypertensive retinopathy, stigmatism, myopia, hyper myopia, diabetic retinopathy, pterygium, estrabismo (squinting), and other vision ailments.
Democrats Abroad meet
Mark your calendar for Monday, December 11, at 4 p.m. and join DA Lake Chapala for their very special Mexican 2023 Holiday Party! Enjoy great Mexican food, including tamales and more. Plus a great holiday donation opportunity and white elephant gifts (both optional).
Everyone is welcome—including Independents—as DA gears up for the 2024 U.S. Elections.
Location: La Bodega Restaurante, 16 de septiembre #124 in Ajijic.
To RSVP now and get ticket details and more, visit: bit.ly/48cUUqT (note our new shorter web address).
This December meeting event is one week earlier than usual due to the holidays.
Chapala Birders
Sign up now for the Christmas Bird Count and potluck supper.
The Christmas Bird Count (CBC) for the Ajijic area will be held Thursday, December 14. This is a special morning to count birds for science. Everyone with an interest in birds is welcome to take part.
Participants must register with Lake Chapala Birders leader John Keeling by email to 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.. Please provide: your name, cell phone number, whether you can bring a car or need a ride, whether you plan to attend the potluck supper in the evening.
The birders divide participants into teams, with each team having four to six members. Each team will go to a particular part of our designated 15-mile diameter circle which runs from San Juan Cosala to San Nicolas, and north to Lake Cajititlan. Your team leader will contact you close to the time of the count to confirm your meeting point. The counting is generally done from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The Potluck Supper celebration will be held at 6 p.m. on the same day (December 14) at the Keelings’ house in Ajijic. Bring your spouse or partner. This is an opportunity to meet the other participants and compare sightings. Wine and beer will be provided.
There is no fee for the Bird Count, but in the past members have been encouraged to ask for a donation towards the out-of pocket costs of Chapala Birders. These are for website hosting and newsletter mailing, which together cost about 8,000 pesos per year. The “Dike CBC” at the east end of the lake will be held on Saturday December 16. This is an all-day affair as it is 80 kilometers from Ajijic. Sign up by email for this count. There will be one team for this circle, which extends from Jamay to La Palma and east to Briseñas.
Jalisco driver’s license
Victor Camarena will give you the ins and outs of how to pass the test to get your Jalisco license and then take you to the Transito offices to obtain it. This is a two session event, with a class on Wednesday, December 13 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. and the test on December 20 at 9 a.m. Cost is 790 pesos (Lake Chapala Society members get a 30-percent discount). Enroll at the LCS website.
Lucha Libre
LCS is heading to Guadalajara December 19 for a show of traditional Mexican wrestling. A stop at a traditional Mexican cantina is also on the bill. Cost: 1,799 pesos (LCS members get a 30-percent discount). Enroll at the LCS website before Tueday, December 12.
Celebrating Frank
Tickets are running out for the Old Blue Eyes Birthday party to benefit Niños Incapacitados, Tuesday, December 12. Celebrate Sinatra’s 108th birthday at El Barco. Drawing prizes and “Frank Fact” trivia contests will be offered. D.J. Carlos will spin his epic songs and take requests if you want to sing along with your favorite. The grand prize is a three-course dinner for four with wine served at a private home by Chef Alex Sgori, original owner of Alex’s Pasta Bar, the Italia Restaurant and Cooking School, both in Ajijic. Other door prizes include gift certificates to Casa Mayabella and Casa Linda, bottles of J&B Scotch and Jack Daniel’s (two Sinatra favorites); Mid-Town deli cookies and an Ajijic Clinic professional skin care gift basket.
No tickets will be sold at the door, so reserve yours now (500 pesos) by emailing Bill Dingwall at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call him at 376-766-5829.
Caroling
Lakeside singers are back and looking for carolers to visit four lakeside assisted living homes on Thursday, December 14. Whether you can carry a tune or not, or do or don’t read music, you’re welcome. Wear festive garb: Santa hats, elf costume, etcetera. There are no rehearsals, unless you count a warm-up song or two someplace before traveling to the first home. You can pick the times and places that work for you to join in.
Belva Velazquez will be accompanying the carolers and Dawn Radel will provide the song books. Santa Claus (aka Francis Dryden) will also be on hand. First performance is 11 a.m. at Casa Nostra, Santa Margarita 8, in Riberas del Pilar. At 12:15 p.m. the carolers will head to Nursing Home Lake Chapala, Paseo del Lago 282, also in Riberas. A lunch break will be at 1 p.m. At 2:30 p.m. carolers will meet to sing at Mi Casita #2, Los Angeles 125 (near Hospital San Antonio) in San Antonio Tlayacapan. The final concert is at OHana’s, La Paz 73 in San Juan Cosala at 4:15 p.m.
Contact Kay Borkowski if you’re interested and she will email you a songbook when they become available, and let you know where the carpool will meet: 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..
Feria de Maestros update
Notes Marianne Carlson in the Feria de Maestro’s most recent newsletter:
“I looked for a poem that reflects how grateful all of us with the Feria are for our patrons, our partners, and for what the volunteers helped us achieve — there is no such poem. So, I began looking for quotes and phrases that reveal our gratitude for that support.
“You’ve given us wings to fly on, and we will be forever gratefully for your trust in us. You are cohorts in making the planet happier by spreading our great love for Mexico. Your example has shown us we must banish “it can’t be done” from our vocabulary and replace it with “it can certainly be done” — we can do difficult straight away; impossible might take us a little longer — 22 years in fact.
“We dreamed and visualized a great idea and put it in action, perhaps not with the best planning, but certainly with the best intentions. Your support helped and encouraged us to reach out eagerly and without fear to make the Feria a richer experience year after year.
“The past is history; the future, a mystery; the present, a gift. Who knows what the future will bring, but we will not allow a person to tell us no who doesn’t have the power to tell us yes. Many people will walk in and out of our lives, but only true friends will leave footprints on our hearts. YOUR footprints are already there.”