I have to apologize to Americans/Canadians in Lake Chapala, Mexico

I recently returned from a 10 day visit to Lake Chapala in the Mexican State of Jalisco.  My good friend has two homes in San Antonio and we had to clean/repair them for new renters.  If you know the Lake Chapala area and it's various communities at all, you will know that many American and Canadian expatriots live there during the winter months, and some all year.

Well, during conversations with his new renter, and numerous other potential renters, the topic of where I live in Mexico always seemed to pop up.  Of course, I live in Cuernavaca, in central Mexico, and when asked why I chose that city over, say, Lake Chapala, my response was always the same.

If I wanted to be with Canadians and Americans, I would return to Canada or the USA, and not move to Lake Chapala.  I was always met with disdaining looks at this response, and I knew why.  These sometimes arrogant visitors to Mexico (in this community particularly) want to force their culture on their new home in Mexico, while at the same time, change all the rules and regulations of the community to be more accommodating to themselves.

Of course, the Mexicans in the Chapala area just laugh at them and their ridiculous rules, and basically ignore them.  Luckily these expatriots band together in their gated communities for safety from the locals, and their rules don't really affect the local population at all.  I guess it is kind of like a bunch of Mexicans or Muslims moving to the USA or Canada, living in their own neighborhoods, and trying to force their religion or culture on them.  Oh, that is already happening with the Muslim invasion, isn't it?

Anyway, I apologize to my American and Canadian friends in the Chapala area.  You are all probably really nice people, but when I visit a foreign country, I kind of like to meet the people of that country and experience their individual culture and maybe actually travel a little.  I've seen most of Mexico already, and I find the people the most friendly and welcoming of any other country I have visited.

So it's nothing against you and it was an absolute pleasure meeting you.  I'll see you when I head back north in the Spring, or on my next visit to Ajiijic and the Casa de la Waffles.