The lake is up to its previous high levels, the beaches are clean, and the pleasure boats make a tranquil photo. In the dry years, the end of the pier is to the left was in about 3 feet of water. Although shallow, Lake Chapala is 48 miles long and 22 miles wide. You can see the southern side of the lake here easily.

This is that same pier, with the new archway in wrought iron reading: Chapala, Little Corner of Love. This is the center of the newly reconstructed Malecon with a beautiful fountain and iron benches to the left.

More of the upgraded version of the Malecon. A place for the public to wander down by the lake and to purchase food or trinkets from the local vendors. Freshly made ice cream is a favorite treat! Fishing boats are a mainstay of the scenery here at Lake Chapala.

The new fountain at the entrance of the Malecon which is in the center of the walkways that lead in both directions. Fishing has been a livelihood for residents of Chapala for decades. These statues are a tribute to the fishermen pulling in their daily catch in their nets.

Many colorful boats line up at this tiny pier. The lirio, a type of water hyacinth donated to the people of Chapala decades ago, has been cut back to manageable levels and no longer consumes the surface area of the lake. Although the lake was completely cleared a few months ago, the lirio you see here comes downstream from the cities and towns bordering the river Lerma which feeds into Lake Chapala.

All new sidewalks and and sitting areas with trees and lights have been put into place by previous Presidentes of the city. This is the other end of the Malecon which reaches all the way to the 'old' Post Office building almost a kilometer down the walkway.

Clean, safe and attractive areas for families to walk and delight in the Lake view of their town. With the influx of expat money, the city of Chapala has made substantial city improvements.

The Beer Garden with a Lakeside view. A great place to sip a beer and listen to music.

This photo shows you the newly cleaned beaches in front of the walking area of the Malecon. There used to be little restaurant shacks here on the beach, with the lirio choking the lake. Now it's wide open and inviting. The Beer Garden is out of the photo on the right. Children love to play on the beach and swim in the water.

Dropping back from onto the pier, another look at the beach area. This gives you a better look at the Beer Garden on the right side of the photo.

From this Google Earth photo you can see the whole of Cristiania Park in Chapala, walking distance from the Malecon. The original 4 tennis courts are on the middle left of the picture. The two tennis courts that Billy built are on the center upper right. At the apex of the trees in the center of the photo you can also see the 2 sand volley ball courts that Billy had built as well. The large land mass in the center is the futbol field, and of course, the swimming pools to the right.

This aerial view of the park shows about 30% of its total land area. It's a very popular family destination on weekends for fairs, music, food and fun. The park is used on a daily basis from people all over the area.

The six tennis courts in the Cristiania Park are in constant use. They are well maintained and are considered to be the best in the area.

A closer look at the two volley ball courts that Billy had built in the days we used to live here more permanently. They are rototilled regularly to keep the sand in good condition for the players who have scheduled games in the mornings.

Another favorite place to gather is the Plaza. Every Mexican town has one and it usually consists of a gazebo, a market area and a church. In the 'old days' when we lived here, few people had telephones. If you wanted to know any local news, or when the next fiesta or parade was happening, you'd go to the Plaza and find out. This is where the 'taco telegraph' was a buzzin'!

A favorite meal easily obtained at  restaurants in the Plaza is Chicken Milanesa served with rice, refried beans, toasted tortillas and salad. Currently, this goes for P40, about $4USD.

Delicious, home made bread and pastries sold daily at the Plaza.

Getting ready for Mexican Independence Day, celebrated September 16th each year. Flags, hats, and streamers for sale! The Plaza itself is in the background.

The MacCleod Brothers. Ernie on the drums, and horn man Duncan play weekly at the Plaza on Sunday evenings. Families gather to listen to the musicians from 8 to 10 pm.

Lovers walk hand in hand, children and couples are dancing, and babies are pushed in their prams.

This is the City of Chapala's Cathredral dedicated to San Francisco. It is a stately building and is said to house relics of some of the first Franciscan monks in the area. Notice that the two steeples are of different sizes. We were told that one had fallen down, but we don't know why - and when it was rebuilt - it wasn't made the same size as the matching steeple. We don't know why about that either! On Sundays, the Cathedral is packed with devout parishioners.

This is the current government building used for the city offices. It used to be the 'Old Nido Hotel' which served the guests and residents of the area since the beginning of the 1900's. In fact, we have stayed at the Nido Hotel ourselves and so have our relatives and friends in years past. There's a lovely courtyard in the center with the rooms all facing in to view it. There used to be a swimming pool in the back, which the city has since filled in.

This yellow and white building is being renovated and used to be the offices for the city in prior times. This used to be the one-and-only stoplight in Chapala - the cross street where the Carreterra meets the center of town. Now, a second traffic light is at the end of the town, but  it almost never works. Modern, clean busses provide transport to the area for P7 a trip, about $0.70 US cents.

Horses and their riders are a familiar sight in the streets of Chapala. You will see horses tied to lamp posts while waiting for their rider to return from the saloon on the corner and there are iron rings embedded into the concrete of the sidewalks to be utilized as a parking space for this common mode of transportation.

This little rider is all ready to go. Comfortable in his boots, jeans and cowboy hat, he's probably been riding a horse since he was a baby and sat in front of the saddle his father used while riding into town.

A family of loose horses walking the streets of Chapala. Who knows where their owners are. No one is really concerned about it, including the horses!

An old fashioned saloon in Chapala, and typical of the bars located here. Notice the swinging doors at the entrance, just like the ones in the Western movies. This is not a prop or a movie set, this is for real! The painted sign advertises quality tequila, and the Mexican flag is above the door, behind the open air slats.

This building is so old and worn by the patrons that the floor, ceiling and sides are all sagging! No worries about walking a straight line going in or out of this place! The iron rings embedded into the sidewalk to park your horse are only a few paces away.