In Ajijic, there is only one asphalt-paved road in town. That’s the main Chapala-Jocotepec highway that runs through communities north of Lake Chapala. Asphalt is used for other purposes, too, like the Walmart parking lot and pavement at gas stations, but street surfacing is not one of them. What do they use instead? Guijarro, or cobblestone.

I’m amazed at the variety of guijarro in town. The base cobblestone is river rock, held in place with dirt:

The through-roads with more traffic will have bricks laid in the tire tracks, with river rock for the rest:

Nicer neighborhoods have cement poured between the stones, rather than dirt:

Often they’ll have larger stones laid out in the tire tracks, giving it a more intentional look:

Some intersections use what we would call “pavers” back in the States:

Nicer homes use slate for the driveway:

I told someone last week that we’ve had a few bumps in the road settling in. Then I realized, bumps in the road is pretty normal for Ajijic. After all, “bumpy road” is redundant when your roads are paved with cobblestone.