Los Ayala
Local Folks - The Swanson Family
Local Folks - The Swanson Family
Our family vacation in Puerto Vallarta, was a great trial run, however, we found that two weeks was just too long to stay at an all inclusive even though we loved being able to enjoy an affordable family vacation. So we researched other affordable alternatives and headed back to Mexico in the winter of 2006 this time to places unknown, Los Ayala, LOL, where the heck was Los Ayala?
We were up for the adventure though, and this time we invited our friends, Lori and Greg to come along with us. We all fell in love with this quaint and small beach town called
Los Ayala, which was filled with so much charm. Los Ayala, represented simpler times where people helped people, family was first and foremost and life was not governed by the clock. We had found our paradise and our dream was to be able to own a piece of it!!
Since our first vacation in Los Ayala, we enjoyed five more wonderful vacations Los Ayala and we found our Casa in 2009. We feel very blessed!
We have come a long way from spending just one week in Mexico. Last year we were very fortunate, in that we were able to spend three months at our home in Los Ayala, and this year we will spend six weeks there. We are very lucky that the children are able to do their school work over the internet - got to love that!
We had some great life experiences, valuable bonding time and made wonderful friendships while in Los Ayala and we look forward to many more. I must say it has been a wonderful journey and OH, SO WORTH IT! Each and every time we drive down the road into Los Ayala and see our special town and the gorgeous Pacific ocean, I for one get this warm feeling inside and think “We’re home!”
Best Wishes to all in 2011, and may you too, realize your dreams!
We were up for the adventure though, and this time we invited our friends, Lori and Greg to come along with us. We all fell in love with this quaint and small beach town called
Los Ayala, which was filled with so much charm. Los Ayala, represented simpler times where people helped people, family was first and foremost and life was not governed by the clock. We had found our paradise and our dream was to be able to own a piece of it!!
Since our first vacation in Los Ayala, we enjoyed five more wonderful vacations Los Ayala and we found our Casa in 2009. We feel very blessed!
We have come a long way from spending just one week in Mexico. Last year we were very fortunate, in that we were able to spend three months at our home in Los Ayala, and this year we will spend six weeks there. We are very lucky that the children are able to do their school work over the internet - got to love that!
We had some great life experiences, valuable bonding time and made wonderful friendships while in Los Ayala and we look forward to many more. I must say it has been a wonderful journey and OH, SO WORTH IT! Each and every time we drive down the road into Los Ayala and see our special town and the gorgeous Pacific ocean, I for one get this warm feeling inside and think “We’re home!”
Best Wishes to all in 2011, and may you too, realize your dreams!
The Swanson Family
About The Swanson Family
Rhonda & Tony have a permanent home in the Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada. Tony has worked thirty-eight years for highways, and is a grader operator. Rhonda has operated an In-Home daycare for twelve years.
In 2009 Rhonda and Tony purchased a home in
Los Ayala. In 2010 they decided that now was the time, for a family adventure and they decided to experience living full time in Los Ayala, with their two pre-teen children, Chelsea and Chase. The three-month experience was indeed a family adventure, and a wonderful experience, and living in Mexico, did indeed require a few adjustments.
Tony, needed to learn to relax and enjoy life and that it really is okay not to be busy doing something all the time.
Rhonda, needed to adapt to new cooking methods and learn new recipes to suit everyone's taste. Interestingly, using readily available, fresh foods for all the family meals, versus packaged and processed foods, required some some adaptation, as did Barbecuing on coals versus a Gas Barbecue. She learned the difference between tostados and tacos; to make salsa and guacamole; and to create varied dishes using fresh local ingredients. She states, that her family eats much healthier while in Mexico.
For their daughter Chelsea, who is a very social person, the largest adaptation was finding new girl friends to spend time with on a regular basis; and not having a cell phone to text friends and make plans with. (Cell phones do not function in Los Ayala) However, once she developed new friendships, she quickly adapted and simply switched from using a cell phone to communicate with her friends to using Skype, Messenger and Facebook, LOL. It was also an adjustment for Chelsea to not have Mom driving her around, and to have to rely on her own two feet, taxis and collectivos, to visit her friends.
For their son Chase, it was a rather large adjustment to not have use of his X-Box 360 live, and he really missed playing on-line games with friends. However, he soon a few boys his own age, to hang about with in Los Ayala, and one friend who lived in Rincon de Guayabitos, to game with. He coped by finding games to play on his laptop and by frequenting the local video arcades.
For both children, settling down to do their homework while living in paradise, was a challenge. Both Chelsea and Chase are enrolled in French Immersion, and they found that they needed to be more disciplined and independent about their studies in Los Ayala, especially because Tony & Rhonda do not speak any French. They became innovative about their French language studies, and took to visiting Claude and Francine, a very friendly couple who enjoy escaping the cold Canadian winters and reside in the nearby Villas Marena condominium complex on Los Ayala beach; and just happen to be are fluent in French.
Chase and Chelsea also had to learn to adapt certain school projects to life and culture in Mexico. Their projects proved most interesting and included; bridge building and construction using cement; how they make bricks in Mexico; and how and why the "Bridge of Life" was built between La Penita and Rincon de Guayabitos.
Rhonda and Tony, say that they plan to work on developing the children’s social life by networking with other adults in Jaltemba Bay who know locals with children the same ages as Chelsea and Chase. Their next big step in life, will be semi-retirement, as they plan to spend a few years living and experiencing life in Los Ayala, Mexico on a full-time basis while their children are still young!
Rhonda & Tony have a permanent home in the Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada. Tony has worked thirty-eight years for highways, and is a grader operator. Rhonda has operated an In-Home daycare for twelve years.
In 2009 Rhonda and Tony purchased a home in
Los Ayala. In 2010 they decided that now was the time, for a family adventure and they decided to experience living full time in Los Ayala, with their two pre-teen children, Chelsea and Chase. The three-month experience was indeed a family adventure, and a wonderful experience, and living in Mexico, did indeed require a few adjustments.
Tony, needed to learn to relax and enjoy life and that it really is okay not to be busy doing something all the time.
Rhonda, needed to adapt to new cooking methods and learn new recipes to suit everyone's taste. Interestingly, using readily available, fresh foods for all the family meals, versus packaged and processed foods, required some some adaptation, as did Barbecuing on coals versus a Gas Barbecue. She learned the difference between tostados and tacos; to make salsa and guacamole; and to create varied dishes using fresh local ingredients. She states, that her family eats much healthier while in Mexico.
For their daughter Chelsea, who is a very social person, the largest adaptation was finding new girl friends to spend time with on a regular basis; and not having a cell phone to text friends and make plans with. (Cell phones do not function in Los Ayala) However, once she developed new friendships, she quickly adapted and simply switched from using a cell phone to communicate with her friends to using Skype, Messenger and Facebook, LOL. It was also an adjustment for Chelsea to not have Mom driving her around, and to have to rely on her own two feet, taxis and collectivos, to visit her friends.
For their son Chase, it was a rather large adjustment to not have use of his X-Box 360 live, and he really missed playing on-line games with friends. However, he soon a few boys his own age, to hang about with in Los Ayala, and one friend who lived in Rincon de Guayabitos, to game with. He coped by finding games to play on his laptop and by frequenting the local video arcades.
For both children, settling down to do their homework while living in paradise, was a challenge. Both Chelsea and Chase are enrolled in French Immersion, and they found that they needed to be more disciplined and independent about their studies in Los Ayala, especially because Tony & Rhonda do not speak any French. They became innovative about their French language studies, and took to visiting Claude and Francine, a very friendly couple who enjoy escaping the cold Canadian winters and reside in the nearby Villas Marena condominium complex on Los Ayala beach; and just happen to be are fluent in French.
Chase and Chelsea also had to learn to adapt certain school projects to life and culture in Mexico. Their projects proved most interesting and included; bridge building and construction using cement; how they make bricks in Mexico; and how and why the "Bridge of Life" was built between La Penita and Rincon de Guayabitos.
Rhonda and Tony, say that they plan to work on developing the children’s social life by networking with other adults in Jaltemba Bay who know locals with children the same ages as Chelsea and Chase. Their next big step in life, will be semi-retirement, as they plan to spend a few years living and experiencing life in Los Ayala, Mexico on a full-time basis while their children are still young!
Magical
By Rhonda Swanson
Los Ayala, Nayarit
Los Ayala, Nayarit
I am sitting here in Kamloops, B.C.,
Canada watching the snow fall, longing to be in Los Ayala, our second home. Upon reflection, it has been a very exciting adventure discovering our little piece of paradise!
Back in 2004 my husband Tony and I, went on a one week vacation and we chose to stay at an all-inclusive resort in Rincon de Guayabitos. It was a of spur of the moment decision! I had vacationed in Mexico several times when I was younger, but this was Tony's first visit to Mexico. We had a fabulous time enjoying the sights of the area, but our fondest memories are of all the wonderful people we met!
In 2005, we decided to take a family vacation but we were just a wee bit apprehensive of our children's first experience in Mexico (they were ages 7 and 6 at the time) so we decided our best bet, was to stay at yet another another all-inclusive, resort, but this time in Puerto Vallarta. The kids did fabulous for their first time in Mexico. It was a bit of a culture shock for them, for sure, but they survived very well on fruit loops and hamburgers, LOL!
Canada watching the snow fall, longing to be in Los Ayala, our second home. Upon reflection, it has been a very exciting adventure discovering our little piece of paradise!
Back in 2004 my husband Tony and I, went on a one week vacation and we chose to stay at an all-inclusive resort in Rincon de Guayabitos. It was a of spur of the moment decision! I had vacationed in Mexico several times when I was younger, but this was Tony's first visit to Mexico. We had a fabulous time enjoying the sights of the area, but our fondest memories are of all the wonderful people we met!
In 2005, we decided to take a family vacation but we were just a wee bit apprehensive of our children's first experience in Mexico (they were ages 7 and 6 at the time) so we decided our best bet, was to stay at yet another another all-inclusive, resort, but this time in Puerto Vallarta. The kids did fabulous for their first time in Mexico. It was a bit of a culture shock for them, for sure, but they survived very well on fruit loops and hamburgers, LOL!
Rhonda, Tony, Chelsea & Chase Swanson
Los Ayala, Nayarit
Los Ayala, Nayarit
Los Ayala Beach
"Patrones"
"Boss or Chief." Throughout the history of Mexico, men in positions of authority such as farm owners, business owners, heads of labour gangs, or bosses of political groups made up a special class of people with powers and responsibilities that went well beyond what is common in North America. In addition to having virtually absolute power over people under them, patrones also, in theory at least had responsibility for them as well.
"Boss or Chief." Throughout the history of Mexico, men in positions of authority such as farm owners, business owners, heads of labour gangs, or bosses of political groups made up a special class of people with powers and responsibilities that went well beyond what is common in North America. In addition to having virtually absolute power over people under them, patrones also, in theory at least had responsibility for them as well.