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Last updateThu, 04 Jun 2026 9pm

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Lawfulness takes 20-20 acuity

Despite misperceptions abroad, Mexican people are even-tempered and gentle. They bring a calm, genial formality to their public appearances. There is rarely a public display of temper, frustration or emotion.


We’re not stupid anymore

North of the border, we toss around the word “stupid” a lot. It’s not always meant to be taken seriously; it’s often just a throw-away, as in, “that lamp looks stupid there” or “that argument was stupid.”

Cash machine personalities

Not long ago, the bank ATM at the Ajijic plaza ate my debit card. For a frantic half-hour I tried to retrieve my card. I even considered calling the “bank machine hotline,” except that there is no bank machine hotline.

Cash machine personalities

Not long ago, the bank ATM at the Ajijic plaza ate my debit card. For a frantic half-hour I tried to retrieve my card. I even considered calling the “bank machine hotline,” except that there is no bank machine hotline.

How to prepare for a Carretera crossing

As everyone who has been to Lakeside knows, the Carretera is the only artery to thread through all the many small villages that surround Lake Chapala, and, as a result, is often choked with traffic, traffic signal breakdowns, cement trucks driven by former stunt drivers, and, currently, roadside excavations resembling World War I trenches.