Casa de Chacala

We were able to get quite a bit of gardening done this time, spending several afternoons with friends at the viveros (nurseries). We are lucky enough to have two friends who were visiting who are landscape gardeners in the bay area so we had lots of help. We found ourselves salivating over the suculents and the palms. Flowering plants that we only see as house plants grow rampantly here. We know when we come back next year we will be shocked at how much things have grown but for now we dig down into our rocks and feel great satisfaction.

There are some changes happening in Chacala, a few new houses and lots of interest in buying land. We have mixed feelings about these changes as we fell in love with a quiet village with an unhurried way of life. But we can see the benefits to the community that this activity brings, more jobs, several new entrepenures, different foods, more help at the schools as well as a cleaner environement.

The cleaner environment has been brought about by the children in the schools, they pick up garbage, usually once a week and collect plastic bottles from the houses on Saturdays. They have won several competitions for the village and won a garbage truck last year which now goes around everyday to pick up garbage from houses.

Still Chacala is a quiet sleepy place to hang out and get to know the people. After Christmas things slow down and you can get back to some serious reading and beaching. Or in our case plan a new garden and wall.

We will be back in April and will keep you posted.