Expat Living

Fernando Gomez (center) and Steve Cross (not shown), owners of Casa Flores B&B, hosted a pre-Christmas movie day for the students and staff of the Jocotepec School for Special Children at Cinemas del Lago in Ajijic’s Bugambilias Mall. During the annual outing, the children saw an animated Disney film, complete with popcorn and beverages. Gomez and Cross also recently treated the 30 children and their guardians from the Villa Infantil orphanage to a holiday breakfast at El Jardin restaurant on the Ajijic plaza. Rosa Maria Alvarez Perez, the mother of Gomez, and also a supporter of both the school and La Villa, is shown at right. At left is Maritza Freyslinger, the school’s vice president. 

With Christmas and New Year’s hoopla now behind them, youngsters all over Mexico restlessly await the next big chapter of the holiday season--the celebration of Dia de Reyes (Three Kings Day). 

In addition to the national holidays and celebrations that will be observed during 2015, there will be dozens more special happenings going on in the Lake Chapala area. Here’s a glance at some of the traditionalfiestas patronaleshonoring religious patrons and important saints, plus other major events that will keep the community jumping over the next 12 months.

Here is a list of where to go in Chapala and its municipal delegations to make 2015 tax payments.

Organizers of  Jugueton 2014 extend a special thank-you to all of the foreign residents who generously contributed to this year’s campaign, helping  them reach an all-time record of 2,736 toys donated to brighten Christmas for impoverished children.

The residents of Ajijic’s eight-year-old Abbeyfield Independent Living Facility celebrated the giving season by hosting a December 16 dinner and party to honor live-in employee Victor Ochoa Gomez, who graduated from nursing school at the top of his class.