I'm publishing this a bit late, from the safety of Pasadena, well away from the craziness that is the Jalisco region at the moment. Uncle Kirk and his family are safe, which is all that really matters. It feels strange to be writing about such an easy, joyful day there, but in some ways that makes it even more worth sharing.
If you thought pickleball was just a North American obsession, well you wouldn't be wrong. It is the fastest-growing sport in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, and here in San Antonio Tlayacapan, it has found a second home among the expat communities. In Uncle Kirk's neighbourhood, leagues play multiple days a week. On this particular morning, Ira was the token under-50 player to round out the group.
The courts were dual-purpose tennis and pickleball courts, with pickleball nets set up across each side of a tennis court. It didn't take long to see how seriously they take their game.
Pickleball in action
While Ira played, Gabby and I headed to the community library for yoga class. The library turned out to be an outdoor covered area, with birds singing in the background. The instructor spoke entirely in Spanish and liked to begin with an "intention" for the class. It was excellent listening practice for me, and thanks to Gabby's request that she slow down a bit, I was able to follow along surprisingly well.
Library / Yoga Studio
We finished before the pickleballers and stopped to watch for a bit before heading home.
A quick snack of papaya, mango and orange--each fresh and sweet--fortified us for our next stop: the open market.
That's where I understood why the fruit tasted so good. Everything looked vibrant and freshly picked. One stall displayed mole pastes in deep shades of red, brown, and nearly black. I later learned that mole is an intricate blend of dried chiles, nuts, seeds, spices and fruit--sometimes even chocolate, as in the famous mole poblano.
Fruit for sale at the market
Market mole
Tempting as the market tacos looked, we held off since Kirk had a lunch spot in mind near the town square.
Market Tacos
As we walked through Ajijic, the murals were impossible to ignore. Many featured skeletons--not macabre, but lively and expressive. In Mexican folk art, these figures symbolize that the spirits of the departed remain present in the community.
Living skeletons
Living animal skeletons
Kirk made sure to point out this striking wall, El Muro de los Muertos by Efren Gonzalez, honors townspeople who have passed on, preserving their memory in a unique and artistic display.
El Muro de los Muertos
by Efren Gonzalez
Lunch was worth the wait. I ordered Sopa Azteca, rich and comforting, while Ira chose green chile enchiladas. Fresh guacamole and chips completed the meal.
Sopa Azteca
Green Chile Enchiladas
Fresh Guacamole
Afterward, Kirk took us to a weaving shop he had promised us. Rather than buying from a market stall, he wanted us to see where the textiles were actually made. The placemats and napkins were woven on a traditional loom right in front of us. We chose a bright, festive pattern--the very one currently on the loom--and carefully selected ten placements and ten napkins we both loved.
Threads on the loom
Napkins and Placemats
Coffee came next, enjoyed on the pier overlooking Lake Chapala, Mexico's largest freshwater lake. The view was peaceful and expansive, the perfect pause in the day.
Pier on the northern shore of Lake Chapala
The streets were fascinating. Kirk mentioned that whenever workers need to install wires or access anything beneath the road, they simply lift the rocks. I later fact-checked this and found it was true. The village's streets are traditional cobblestones, known locally as empedrado, set in sand and dirt rather than concrete. This allows utility workers to remove and replace the stones as needed to reach what's below.
This design was intentional. It lets rainwater filter directly into the ground, helping manage runoff during the heavy summer rains and keeping the village cooler than fully paved towns. Kirk also told us that the town is in the process of moving telephone and electrical lines underground. However, the government has been resetting the stones in concrete instead of sand, which has sparked considerable debate among residents, as you might imagine.
Empedrado streets
Back in their neighborhood, we walked Benji up the hill for sweeping views of the lake and town below. Later, when dinner time came, we discovered that many restaurants close early. We eventually found a lively bistro filled with expats, live music playing, and just what we were craving: vegetables. We shared a roasted beet salad and an ahi steak with roasted vegetables while a band played "Stayin' Alive," making it feel like we could have been anywhere in the U.S.
View of Lake Chapala
Roasted beet salad
Ahi Tuna and roasted veggies
Stayin Alive
After dinner we sat on the terraza with Kirk and Benji, sipping a very special private tequila Kirk had won at a charity auction--smooth, complex, and not available anywhere else.
Benji winding down
It was one of those days filled with simple pleasures: movement, color, conversation, and discovery. From pickleball courts to market stalls to quiet lakeside views, Ajijic continues to reveal itself one beautiful moment at a time.
More adventures to come.
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