Growing up in a traditional Mexican family in the small village of Tlachichilco on the north shore of Lake Chapala, Jose Juan Vazquez felt he couldn’t go after his true passion to become a hair and makeup artist because his father, Cirilo, wouldn’t have accepted it.

As part of the entourage of the annual book fair (Feria Internacional de Libros), Guadalajara’s premier museums normally mount impressive displays of artwork emanating from the invited county, city or region, frequently those with a connection to Mexican culture – in the past Los Angeles (2009), Latin America (2016) and regions of Spain, such as Andalusia (2006) and Castilla y León (2010).

Each Wednesday, Linda Harley, known as “AbueLinda” (Grandma Linda), weaves her way through Ajijic’s open-air market, or tianguis, along with a handful of wide-eyed students eager to learn all about the local Mexican fare.

Sooner or later everyone spending any significant amount of time in this region will travel along Guadalajara’s Avenida Mariano Otero, the busy thoroughfare linking the towering Niños Heroes monument with the western beltway (periferico), passing important landmarks such as the bright yellow Millennium Arches, Expo Guadalajara and Plaza del Sol (the city’s first shopping mall).

Retirees aren’t the only ones who have found a home away from home on the shores of Lake Chapala. 

Is Lake Chapala the area in the world most likely to harbor a retiree with some astonishing stories to tell?