Hotel Azucar, the "Sugar Shack" of Veracruz

Ben, the consummate Internet researcher, came across a website auctioning vacations. Being a risk-taker, he bid $1.00 per night on a boutique hotel near Veracruz. What follows is the outcome of that bid...

We left Ajijic, flew to Mexico City, changed plane and arrived in Veracruz. Unfortunately, our luggage didn't make the trip, but we were assured that our suitcases would be sent to our hotel that evening.

We took a taxi to the bus station teaming with people.

From this point onward no-one spoke English. Using our limited Spanish we purchased tickets for a bus that we hoped would take us to the village of Monte Gordo.

After three hours on a first class Mexican bus, which was extremely comfortable, we arrived here...

Hotel Azucar (Spanish for sugar)

There were twenty cabanas situated in lush tropical gardens dotted around the pool, overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. The owners carried the sugar theme throughout the hotel - everything was white and very avant-garde.

The sad part was that our luggage didn't arrive for two days. Finally, we couldn't take the punishment of longing for a swim for another minute. The desk clerk kindly offered to take us to a local market where we were able to buy swimsuits.


We ate our meals in the restaurant overlooking the pool. The Mexican wait staff soon grasped our "Spanish dialect" and were very attentive to our needs.

At times our Spanish failed us and we were not quite certain what we had ordered for lunch!

There were few guests, mainly honeymooners, and we often had the pool to ourselves.

A hard day at the office.

A crisis! Crab falls into the pool!

After the crab was removed from the pool, cocktails were served.

Another difficult day at work.

The beach in front of the hotel stretched for miles, with the occasional nun taking a stroll.

Plenty of beach to share.

Relaxing on the patio of our cabana after yet another hard day at the pool/beach.

So you too can go to http://www.skyauction.com/ and take a risk with a dollar. You never know where you might land! After a week of being pampered, we returned to the city of Veracruz and flew to our next destination....Merida, capital of the Yucatan.

Ajijic, a Corner of Paradise on the Lake

After spending a few days in Guadalajara, we headed south toward the mountains and the village of Ajijic (pronounced Ah-ee-heec) on the shores of Lake Chapala. Originally an artists' colony, Ajijic is still full of art galleries and studios. Artists and artisans, Mexican and non-Mexican, offer prints, oil paintings, water colors, sculpture and jewellery.

The village, population 15,000, is considered a hospitable haven, drawing the adventurous from every corner of the globe. The Lake Chapala Society, established to support the ex-pat community, has 3,400 members from 31 nations.

The streets and sidewalks are narrow, paved with cobblestones adding to the charm of this delightful village.

Artisans' shopping district in the heart of Ajijic.

Lake Chapala, the largest freshwater lake in Mexico, is surrounded by mountains and lush vegetation during the summer season when frequent storms occur at night.

The "malecon" or boardwalk along the lake in Ajijic.

We arrived in Ajijic without a hotel reservation. Our taxi driver was very patient as he drove us from hotel to hotel until we settled on Hotel Ajijic Suites. Elaine, the owner of the hotel, immediately made us feel so welcome providing us with a map of the village, restaurant recommendations and other valuable advice.


The hotel has eight rooms, situated around this charming and tranquil courtyard. Our room was at the top of the stairs and the patio provided a wonderful view of the mountains.



Typical of every city, town and village in Mexico is the central plaza and Ajijic is no exception. During the day there is plenty of shade to sit and watch the passing parade. At night the plaza comes alive with street vendors hawking their wares, children playing, friends and families meeting and greeting.

Many of the stores in the artisan district are brightly painted with murals.

A specialty store, supplying only wrapping paper and gift cards. Down the street is another little store dedicated to ribbons of every description.

How about this beauty shop ladies, where you can have a pedicure and a drink at the same time! As the store was closed every time we passed by, we couldn't confirm that was indeed the case or just one of those endearing translation blunders!

The sign painted on the garage door clearly states "No Parking" however this obviously doesn't apply to horses!

Scrawny bird stands watch over the fruit and vegetables at a local market.

Many of the restaurants are open air affairs - this one fronted the lake. The sunset on the lake provides a tranquil setting.


The La Nueva Posada Restaurant is a charming garden venue for lunch.....


and here is our lunch - delicious! The meal, soft drinks and tip came to a whopping $11.00.

We met some wonderful people and felt so comfortable we extended our stay by a week. On our last evening in Ajijic we had dinner at Roberto's Restaurant, a first class establishment. Pictured above are Elaine, sitting around the table is Chuck, Freddie and Colin.

Off to the beach in Veracruz....best wishes, Ben and Lindy

Guadalajara

We spent a wonderful five days at Ben's family reunion in Prescott, Arizona. All our girls -Sarah, Sarah-Jane, Jenna, Brydie, and granddaughter Lyla (collectively and affectionately known as "Ben's Harem"), flew in from Denver. It was lovely catching up and we were sad, but excited to continue with the next leg of our travels.

On July 24 we arrived in Guadalajara, the second largest city in Mexico. Founded in 1530, this vibrant city is steeped in colonial history. For its size and the number of people hurrying and scurrying (on Mexico time of course), the city is noticeably clean, with many plazas, well tended flower beds and elaborate fountains.

We stayed at the downtown Hotel Frances, built in 1535. Although the hotel has been beautifully renovated and the original architecture maintained, by morning we felt as though we had slept on one of the original mattresses!


Hotel Frances

Atrium Hotel Frances

Our first evening in the city, we were directed to a popular downtown restaurant, La Chata. The kitchen faces onto the sidewalk and patrons can watch the cooks prepare meals while waiting to be seated.

La Chata is frequented by the locals and as you can see, Lindy is the only Anglo in line.

While we waited, a musician rolled his xylophone onto the sidewalk and kept us entertained.

For the next three days we wandered around this most walkable city, enjoying the colonial architecture, museum collections and places of interest.

The Cathedral of San Francisco has a most impressive exterior and an exquisite interior...

There are many plazas throughout the city, each boasting a unique fountain.

The calandria are an emblem of the golden era. Available for hire, one more elaborately decorated than the next.

One of the largest plazas in downtown Guadalajara, is Plaza Tapatia, which leads to the Instituto Cultural Cabanas.

The Instituto opened its doors in 1810 and was originally dedicated to the shelter and care of destitute children. The complex is vast with many meticulously restored plazas and buildings.

Within the complex is a chapel, home to 57 murals painted by Jose Clemente Orozco, known as the Michael Angelo of Mexico.

Despite only having one hand and poor eyesight, Orozco completed the task within two years.
Below are three of Orozco's murals.

"The Politicians"

"Man on Fire"

Painted on the ceiling of the chapel, this mural is 33 feet in diameter.

"The Wheel"

The wheel changes direction depending upon where one stands in the chapel

Farewell from Guadalajara. Our next stop, Lake Chapala.