Feb 13-20, 2013   Old Harbor, Mazatlan, Mexico

Alan’s days are filled with working on the boat.  Mine are spent either painting, helping Alan or going into town for groceries and supplies.  Since we have given up on ice for the icebox, we need to shop every few days and since I have to carry everything back I can not buy too much at once.  Actually, I don’t mind.  It is fun to investigate all the small shops and discover new markets.Most of the time I walk but if we need to go a long way or have a lot of packages we take the bus.   About half a dozen of them  of them come all the way out to the end of the street, others stop at the turnaround just up the road.  There are no assigned bus stops.  If you want a ride just stand in the road and wave.  As far as I have been able to find out, there is no published map showing all the routes.  There are a couple of tourist maps showing 2-3 on the main routes, but not nearly all of them. They all have their stops painted in white paint on the front window.  Trouble is, they all seem to have different interpretations of the route so no two have the same signs.  To get home, we learn to look for the key word “faro”, which is the lighthouse up the hill at the end of the street.  Luckily there is almost always someone around to help us figure out which bus to take to get where we need to go.  Getting off is like getting on.  When you see the stop, let the driver know and he will stop, often in the middle of the street blocking traffic to. 

When we first got to Mazatlan, I was not excited about the city.  It seemed like LA , or Tijuana, lots of sprawl but no real center.  But the longer we stay here the more I am charmed.  The people are wonderful; friendly, helpful, very low key, just going about the daily business of living.  Several years ago, the cruise ships stopped coming here, so there are not a lot of tourists around although there are quite a number of retired Americans, mostly concentrated in the old town.  Like the harbor, the city itself is an fascinating mix of lovely old homes, weed strewn vacant lots, buildings that are falling apart and new condos.  Houses are built in the spanish style, flush along the street with no yards.  When we can get a glimpse inside through an open door or window, there are lovely patios, fountains  and even  swimming pools.  

Mazatlan is also full of musicians and artists.  Almost as soon as Carnival is over, the jazz fest starts.  followed a week later by the monthly Art Walk.  Most of the events are free or cost only a few pesos  After a day of working on the boat it is lovely to head into town for an evening of culture.  One evening we go to a concert in the lovely old Angela Peralta theater which reminds me of La Scala inside with the rows of seats going straight up.   Another night we sit outside in the plaza and listen to a concert while watching the people. There is music in all of the restaurants.  One restaurant in particular, La Boheme, is unique.  Down a narrow hall between 2 other restaurants, the room widens out into the ruins of an old home.  They have left the crumbling walls and beams and painted them in soft colors.  The roof is only half there.  If you sit in the back of the room, there are only open beams overhead with enormous trees growing from them.  The roots trail down along the walls and hang over your head at the tables.  One night there was a white owl on a beam for most of the evening.    The Art Walk took let us into more homes and galleries, all of them fascinating.  After a month I almost feel like a regular.  I could live here very happily if there weren’t more cities to see and seas to sail.  But is any of you are looking for a retirement home, I recommend Mazatlan.  Houses are cheap, food is reasonable with lots of fresh seafood, people are friendly and there are lots of cats.