I was wrong. They're full-time residents who have fled from winter heating bills, exorbitant taxes and the fast pace of life back home. A surprise encounter with a former London, Ont., friend at the Country Club de Chapala one afternoon demonstrated just how small the world has become. You can't beat the weather and you can't beat the people, and I don't mean the North Americans, I mean the Mexicans. I have to agree.
Mexican charms are impossible to resist.
Mexicans are hard-working and friendly. The fiesta, tequila, mariachi bands and the rodeo. But for a true taste of Mexican life, there is no greater pleasure than visiting the central plaza on a Sunday evening just to watch the strolling families, playful children dressed in Sunday best and teenagers shyly eyeing the opposite sex. Amid this idyllic setting, I discovered, dreams can come true. Lake Chapala's magic has been a lure for poets, artists and Mexican presidents for generations.