Que pasa?

Adios.

2009-11-05T10:54:00.005-07:00

I started this blog when I moved to Mazatlan to keep family and friends updated on what we were doing. My main inspiration was my mother, who is the type that likes to visualize things, so I was spending a good deal of time emailing pictures and letting her know what was going on. The rest of our friends and family were curious as well, and so then the idea of a blog to share the photos and stories hit me. I was never a regular poster, but obviously it has been overly quiet the last few months. The biggest reason is that my muse, Mom, was very ill this summer and ended up passing away in August. She had 9 brothers and sisters (Viva Los Bacas de Mosquero!!) and they were all alive until she was gone.....within five weeks, two more of her sisters followed her. I am not completely writing off this blog, who knows what the future holds. I may get another inspiration for it. In the meantime, Facebook has taken the place of this. It has been a great way to stay in touch with everyone and share the pictures/stories. If you read this and care to friend me on Facebook, feel free! I am currently the only Sandy Hill Pool, so I am not hard to find!

Mazatlan Bus Routes

2009-03-31T08:29:00.003-07:00

Click on map to enlarge.

Eye in the Sky: El Faro -- Mazatlán’s lighthouse watches history being made

2009-03-17T08:31:00.003-07:00

After negotiating a dirt path and climbing more than 300 concrete steps, you arrive at the top of Cerro de Creston, the home to 33 species of flora, 19 species of fauna, and El Faro. El Faro is the second natural highest lighthouse in the world at 157 meters (523 feet) from high tide, and the view of his domain is well worth the imposing climb. The birds are flying below you, boats rock in the harbor, waves crash at the base of the hill and all of Mazatlán, the Pacific, the Sierra Madres and the surrounding area is spread out in front of you.

It’s 1821, and the Pacific Ocean is a very busy place with the trade market and the gold rush. Spanish rule is over, and the port has not seen pirates since before 1800. The City of Mazatlán received a decree by Cortes de Cadiz making it the first port in Mexico on the Pacific Coast. It was immediately one of the most important on the Pacific, along with San Francisco, California, and Valparaiso, Chile.

Mazatlán was the main supplier of imported merchandise for the states of Sonora, Durango, Chihuahua, Nayarit, Jalisco and Baja California. It is said that an average of 60 ships a year from the United States, Europe and the Far East entered the harbor, oddly enough with no help from any navigation system for 7 years. That changed in 1828, when Isla de Creston (Yes! It used to be an island, more on that later …) began to be utilized for marine signaling. For the first 60 years, it was a very crude operation, merely a rubblework pavilion, with torches and bonfires that were lit using wood and coal, to create a tenuous light at best, that only could be seen from a very short distance. Eventually this was replaced by oil and kerosene lamps, which made for a much stronger, constant light. Then, in mid-1879, a small tower was constructed and a lamp installed that had been handcrafted in Paris. It ran on oil and used mirrors and a Fresnel lens to enhance the light, which was a vast improvement.

The next milestone for El Faro was in 1892. Porfirio Diaz was President of Mexico and a great era of prosperity was underway. The railroad arrived, the port and lighthouse were modernized and the cathedral was finished. There was a new age of enlightment and education; the arts and journalism flourished. The president of the port, Don Bernardo Vazquez, and the city engineer, Jose Natividad Gonzáles, oversaw the final adaptations to the lighthouse, as well as the extension of the jetty and its artificial fill. These operations turned Isla de Creston from an island to being connected to the mainland, thus becoming Cerro de Creston.

In 1905 the lamp was once again converted, this time to a revolving type, and with the exception of a few more minor modifications in 1933, the lighthouse became the El Faro we know now. El Faro is seven meters (23 feet) high, with a 1000-watt bulb that’s the equivalent of 600,000 candles and can be seen from 30 nautical miles (60 km).

As you stand on the breezy pinnacle of Cerro de Creston and look around, you can see all the different personalities of Mazatlán; Stone Island with sweeping beaches and acres of coconut trees, the exciting, busy downtown area, the lazy north beaches covered in high-rises. It’s easy to imagine the stories El Faro could tell about the changes and events in this ever evolving city. The eye of El Faro has seen a great deal of the history of Mazatlán: the arrival of Angela Peralta in 1883 and the yellow fever outbreak immediately following; the revolution of 1910-17 and the bombardment by airplane - the second city in the world to experience this after Tripoli; the ‘60s and ‘70s with “Spring Breakers” and stars like John Wayne; Hurricane Olivia and her path of destruction in 1975. And, of course, El Faro has always had front row seats for Carnaval, which officially began in 1898, although there are accounts of it as early as the mid-1800s.

El Faro is arguable the most recognizable symbol of Mazatlan. His constant beam of light has shone upon the city and all its transformations throughout the years, and will undoubtedly see much more. Viva Mazatlan and Viva El Faro!

This will be seen in the April edition of "M" magazine.

Sinaloa Arts Fair

2008-10-11T13:54:00.003-06:00

It is already ongoing, but this is the schedule I have for the remainder of the Sinaloa Arts Fair. Go out and enjoy!!

Oct. 11

Aldoo Rodriquez (Sinaloa) electro-accoustical music

Plazuela Machado - 7 pm

Oct. 12

The Rodriquez Bros (USA) Afro-cuban jazz

Plazuela Machado - 7 pm

Oct. 16

La Pire Espece (Canada) marionettes, theatre,clowning

Antonio Haas Theatre - 6:30 pm

Oct 16

Quarteto Gelatto (Canada) Classical, tango, gyspy, etc

Mazatlan Art Museum - 8 pm

Oct. 17

Edward Gonzalez (Mexico) flautist

Angela Peralta - 8 pm

Oct. 19

Sarruga (Spain) gigantic "insects"

Streets of Centro Historico - 7 pm

Oct. 21

Joan Manuel Serrat (Spain) singer-guitarist

Angela Peralta Theatre - 8 pm

Oct. 22

Grupo Folklorio Sinaloense w/Maraguan (Cuba) outdoor exhibition

Plazuela Republica - 8 pm

Oct. 23

Delta Teatro (Sinaloa) spanish theatre

Antonio Haas Theatre - 8 pm

Oct. 24

Sinaloa Symphony of the Arts Tarab Octet w/guitarist Alfredo Sanchez

popular music

Angela Peralta Theatre - 8 pm

Oct. 25

Tatuas (Sinaloa) "The Midnight Evening" spanish theatre

Antonio Haas Theatre - 8 pm

Oct. 26

Ana Belen and Victor Manuel (Spain)

Free Gala Concert - closes the 2008 SAF

Plazuela Republica - 7 pm

Advice for the Rubber Robbers

2008-10-03T05:30:00.007-06:00

In case you need help in how to use all those condoms;

Rubber Robbers

2008-10-03T05:11:00.003-06:00

B.O.L.O. -- Condom-mobile stolen in D.F.

Missing in Mexico: One condom-mobile
By Maria Gallucci
ASSOCIATED PRESS
11:02 a.m. October 1, 2008

MEXICO CITY – Missing in Mexico: One truck carrying 5,000 condoms, 800 HIV tests and a 23-foot (7 meter) inflatable prophylactic.

The coordinator of an HIV/AIDS awareness tour, Polo Gomez, said Wednesday that the “Condomovil” was parked in front of a friend's house in Mexico City when it disappeared Sunday evening. He believes the truck was stolen, but he doesn't know why. Police are still investigating.

The truck should be easy to spot. It features painted images of a peeled banana, the exposed part shaped like a condom, and a shirtless man saying: “I protect myself. Do you?”

Gomez estimated US$19,000 (200,000 pesos) worth of material is missing, including the truck, its contents and sound equipment.

The United Nations AIDS program says there are some 200,000 people living with HIV in Mexico.

The Condomovil program has toured Mexico since 1998 promoting safe sex practices while distributing 1.2 million condoms to more than 700,000 people, Gomez said. The inflatable condom was used to draw attention from passers-by.

Gomez said a scheduled tour of Mexico's south would likely be canceled unless the truck is found.

The group bought the truck with a grant from Mexico's federal Health Department. The department also donated the 5,000 condoms in the truck when it went missing.

David, Oscar and I!

2008-09-30T14:10:00.005-06:00

Just a picture from the Noroeste last Spring at the Plaza de Toros. We made the Gente section!

Old Pics

2008-09-28T06:46:00.003-06:00

These are just some pictures I have taken previously. I thought I needed to brighten the blog up a bit.

No wonder we like it here!

2008-09-17T09:09:00.003-06:00

Apparently we are all happy!

World "Happiest" Countries vs. Countries with the Highest Levels of "Subjective Well-Being"
The University of Michigan's World Values Surveys (WVS) has compiled data on the happiest countries in the world for over twenty years. Their results are considered the most authoritative by happiness researchers.WVS measures the happiness of individuals by two different means. The first is to simply ask them how "happy" they are. The second is to ask them how "happy" they are, and also how "satisfied" they are. The results are then combined to arrive at a measure of their "subjective well-being," a term generally considered synonymous with happiness. Because of these two different ways of measuring happiness, some confusion arises in determining which countries in the world are happiest. There is support for the the validity of both measures. For example, former president of the American Psychological Association, Dr. Martin Seligman, uses the "happiness only" measure in his book Authentic Happiness. However, Dr. Ron Inglehart, director of World Values Surveys, considers the "subjective well-being" measure a more accurate indicator of personal happiness.Therefore on this page I present the international rankings using both measures.

When individuals were asked:"Taking all things together, would you say you are: 1. Very happy, 2. Rather happy, 3. Not very happy, or 4. Not at all happy?" countries achieved the following rankings (Dr. Inglehart has not released the complete list):

Ranking of the World's Happiest Countries

1. Nigeria

2. Mexico

3. Venezuela

4. El Salvador

5. Puerto Rico

Ronald Inglehart et al. (eds.) HUMAN BELIEFS AND VALUES: A CROSS-CULTURAL SOURCEBOOK BASED ON THE 1999-2002 VALUES SURVEYS (Mexico City: Siglo XXI, 2004).

When individuals were asked the above "happiness" question and the results were combined with the following question: (On a scale of one to ten) "All things considered, how satisfied are you with your life as a whole these days?" a ranking of "subjective well-being" for the following countries was achieved.

Ranking of Countries by Level of "Subjective Well-Being"

1. Puerto Rico

2. Mexico

3. Denmark

4. Colombia

5. Ireland

6. Iceland

7. N. Ireland

8. Switzerland

9. Netherlands

10. Canada

Please note that not all of the world's countries are included in the survey.

Ronald Inglehart et al. (eds.) HUMAN BELIEFS AND VALUES: A CROSS-CULTURAL SOURCEBOOK BASED ON THE 1999-2002 VALUES SURVEYS (Mexico City: Siglo XXI, 2004).

Road Trip!!

2008-09-15T13:50:00.007-06:00

There is nothing better, in my opinion, then hitting the open road for a trip. Flying is great, you get there fast, but I like driving, seeing the scenery, checking out the local eats, and meeting people. Last week, David and I made a REAL quick trip to Guadalajara. I mean real quick....we drove down Sunday, came back Monday. David needed to go for business reasons, and I tagged along and did a little PR for my job. We took the toll part of highway 15 and it was an effortless cruise the entire way. Of course it cost about $1000 pesos each direction, so in my opinion, it should be pretty damn smooth! We had good front doors and managed to make it in about 4 1/2 hours. About an hour out of Mazatlan, you hit the Caminero Esturary. We rolled along that for about 15 miles and wondered how many and how big the shrimp were that lived in it! I am not sure how much of that is normally there, but it was, without a doubt, rain swollen. A few miles out of Tepic, I remarked about alot of rocks in a field when we suddenly realized that we were driving through a lava field! It was from an eruption in 1879 from the Ceboruco Volcano. It was a really neat sight and I have a thing for rocks. I really wanted to stop and grab one but a couple of things held me back;

1. it is illegal, and

2. I remember the Brady Bunch episode when the boys found something in Hawaii and angered the volcano gods. I certainly did not want to do that!!

Back on the road, we drove through some of the prettiest country I have ever seen anywhere! the Sierra Madres were spectacular, we saw waterfalls, blue fields of agave, and canyons. The trees started out as mangoes and coconut trees and by the end of the trip we had also seen firs and oaks. At one point I told David that I could almost think we were in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia if I just squinted my eyes a little! A good ways after Tepic, you see a large statue of Jesus Christ with his arms spread, up on a hill overlooking a town and you think, "Wow! We must be in Rio!". Well, you are. You are in Ixtlan del Rio. Ixtlan del Rio is where the archaeological zone Precortesiana, which is considered the most important in the country, is located. In the center of this archaeological zone you can see the Temple of Quetzalcoatl, an Aztec god.

Once we got to Guadalajara, we definitely knew we were in a city......like 5 million inhabitants worth!! There were shops selling anything you could imagine! I am not normally a shopper, but I was salivating and whimpering in the passenger seat the whole time. I will assume it was because the shopping here in Mazatlan is not really good. Anyways, it was busy and confusing, but we managed to get around and accomplish what we needed. Every few blocks there were these roundy-round deals that would shoot you off in any of 5-6 directions. We did the Griswald loop a few times around a couple of them until we figured out where to go.It was also pouring rain, so we had that to contend with along with our lack of Guadalajara knowledge! Usually we try to eat at local places when on a trip, but we got there on a Sunday night, it was raining hard and most places were already closed. We looked for about an hour for a Cuban place that came highly recommended, but could not find it and we were starved. Soooo.......of all places, we ended up eating at Chili's in the mall. We felt a little odd at first until we realized that we had not eaten at a Chili´s in 3 years! Somehow that made us feel a little bit better. I will admit though, it was good! When we came out, the rain had slowed and as we got into the USS Ford, we realized that we parked less than 30 yards from the Cuban place and it was open.
*sigh*

The next morning we ran the last of our errands and headed back to Mazatlan. It was pouring rain almost the entire way, but we still made it in about 5 1/2 hours. We made a quick stop in Tequila and poked around for a couple of hours, luckily the rain held off while we were there. We did not spend alot of time since we were on the road, but it is a very, very picturesque town. (as it turns out, it a "Puebla Magica", as designated by the government.) One note of special interest (at least I thought so) all the trees around the main plaza and cathedral were lime trees! You could buy your tequila in one of MANY stores on the plaza, pick a couple of limes and you are in business! How handy is that??!!

Still no camera, so still no pictures. Hopefully that will change soon!

Great Ideas, Part 1

2008-08-27T14:57:00.006-06:00

Baghdad plans to build giant Ferris wheel

Aug 27 02:42 PM US/Eastern By SAMEER N. YACOUB Associated Press Writer

BAGHDAD (AP) - Iraq is calling on companies to submit designs to build a giant Ferris wheel in Baghdad—the latest in a string of lavish proposals painting the capital as a leisure friendly city.

The Ferris wheel, dubbed the Baghdad Eye, will soar more than 650 feet over the city and feature air-conditioned compartments that would each carry up to 30 passengers, Baghdad municipal spokesman Adel al-Ardawi said Wednesday.

Three possible locations in Baghdad have been selected, but officials are waiting to see what proposals are submitted before picking one, al-Ardawi said, declining to give an estimated construction cost or timeline.

"We hope to attract a great number of customers who will be able to see the whole city and enjoy the restaurants and pools on ground below," he told The Associated Press.

Tourism is a tough sell in Iraq, however, because there are still suicide attacks that kill dozens and infrastructure is weak. But since insurgent attacks and sectarian bloodshed have declined over the past year, Iraqis are venturing outside their homes.

Al-Ardawi said the wheel would be taller than the iconic London Eye, which sits on the banks of the River Thames and reaches a height of about 450 feet over the British capital.

The London Eye opened in January 2000 and it took seven years to complete the project, which cost 35 million pounds—about $64.5 million in the current exchange rate. The London Eye has attracted more than 27 million visitors since it opened, according to its Web site.

Officials are also using the downturn in violence to begin promoting tourism. The Ferris wheel and other tourism projects could be built in areas where security is tight and unlikely that suicide attacks would happen. The main city park, Zawra, is adjacent to the Green Zone and home to the Baghdad Zoo.

Families are often seen relaxing at night in parks and children flock to pools. On Monday, tens of thousands of soccer fans cheered on their club in a Baghdad stadium—the largest sports crowd the city saw since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.

There are risk-takers despite the possibility of violence. American businessman Robert Kelley announced plans last month to build a luxury hotel in Baghdad's Green Zone, which houses Iraqi government offices and the U.S. military and diplomatic facilities.

Iraq's Tourism Board also is seeking investors to develop a "romantic" island on the Tigris River in Baghdad that was once a popular honeymoon spot for newlywed Iraqis, the U.S. military announced this week.

The project would including a six-star hotel, spa, an 18-hole golf course and a country club, the military said in a statement.

"The city of Baghdad has a depth of history and a cultural legacy that, when applied to the development, can be a basis for attracting and fostering tourism," the statement said, not mentioning the war.

Morning Commute

2008-08-26T10:20:00.010-06:00

We are staying out at Estrella del Mar for a few days house/animal sitting for some friends, so I find myself commuting to work, something I have not really had to do in quite a few years! The weather has been in a strange pattern because of Tropical Storm Julio over Baja, and so it has been rainy, pretty much all day, the last couple of days. This morning, on the other hand, was marvelous! When I left the gates of EDM, the sun was ablaze and there were just a few thin bands of clouds. The drive to Hwy 15 was an eruption of dense greenery from all the rain, the sides of the road dotted with cows, horses, and goats getting their breakfast buffet on! When not navigating the constant stream of bikers out of Barron pedaling towards work, I was trying to take in the Sierra Madres, the crisp morning making them very clear,with the dark green of the mountains contrasting against the white, puffy storm clouds barely clearing the tops and the deep, blue sky. I hit highway 15 and joined all the various 18 wheelers and buses heading towards the city. Before Urias, I made the hill and turn and BAM! there is Mazatlan and the port. Quick check--no cruise ships in town today.Once I arrived in Urias, I could see the evidence of people getting ready for the day. Alot were crowding the bus stop, most of the ladies with umbrellas to block the sun, tortillerias in full swing, roosters crowing and the dogs making the morning rounds. Within a few moments I am definately in the city, the traffic heavier with city buses, employee buses from diffrent resorts, trucks with the beds full of workers, bikes and, of course, the ever present mopeds and motorcycles. El Marino is already busy, filling the air with the thick smell of roasted coffee beans. The traffic light shopping this time of day mainly consists of newspapers and freshly squeezed fruit juice, the window washers not appearing until after lunch. Soon, I turned onto Rafael Buelna and was instantly surrounded by only cars and small trucks. In a few more minutes, I was on Camaron Sabalo, and due to the combination of the time of day and the fact that there are not many tourists around right now, it is virtually a ghost town. You can almost hear the snores of the few visitors that are in town, in their margarita induced slumber. I open up the office, get my morning coke from Roberto at the tienda next door and a heads-up that his wife was on the way with chilorio sandwiches. Yes!! (If you have not tried this, you should! It is a Sinaloan dish, basically a pulled pork sandwich with peppers and onions. Way Yum.) Soon as I get settled in at my desk, I look up to see a fully outfitted clown complete with a bunch of ballons walking down the sidewalk in front of the office. What a way to start the day!!

And in the , "Man, I wish I would have thought of that" news....

2008-08-22T20:15:00.000-06:00

Gnome at last: Stolen garden elf is returned after a 7-month adventure around the world

By Beth Hale
Last updated at 10:50 AM on 12th August 2008

If only he could talk there would surely be extraordinary tales to tell.

He's been swimming with turtles off the Great Barrier Reef, scaled a glacier in New Zealand and toured the ancient ruins of Angkor Wat.

Unfortunately the gnome formerly known as Murphy is giving nothing away - save for a singularly enigmatic smile.

Sydney Harbour: Murphy in front of the world famous Opera House

The adventures of Murphy, now Barrington (of which more later), began back in September after the best part of a decade spent in 'quiet reflection' in a simple flower bed in the 'Shire'.

Owners Eve and Derrick Stuart-Kelso were stunned to discover the 10-inch high stone leprechaun they had inherited when they bought their Gloucester home, had disappeared.

The couple, both retired, assumed the gnome had fallen foul of students from a nearby college and would never be seen again.

Taking a dip: Murphy cools off in Thailand

Both keen travellers, the couple never dreamed that the humble green-hatted garden ornament was setting of an around the world jaunt taking in 12 countries and three continents.

And oblivious they would have remained if Murphy had not decided that there really is just no place like home.

The 8lb gnome appeared on the Stuart-Kelso's doorstep on Thursday last week, some 11 months after disappearing.

A little the worse for wear, the traveller was standing next to a mysterious and tightly-wrapped parcel.

Once unwrapped it revealed a leather-bound photo album containing 48 pictures of the gnome's trip around the globe along with a note putting his impromptu world tour down to 'itchy feet'.

The painstakingly compiled album, complete with index, showed their gnome - renamed Barrington by his travel companions - abseiling down a mountain, standing in a shark's mouth, swimming in the sea, and riding a motorbike.

On top of the world: The gnome takes a cable car ride in Singapore

Also with him were immigration stamps for all the shores he had been taken to visit - South Africa, Swaziland, Mozambique, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, China, Hong Kong and Laos.

A witty note, purporting to be from Barrington, referred to his 'travelling companion' only as The Bear, and told the couple how he attracted unwanted attention from customs officials and took up 25 per cent of the party's luggage allocation.

The only clue, however, to the identity of those companions was a photograph of a group of grinning young men.

As for the letter it began:

'Hello! First of all I feel I should explain my prolonged absence. A gnome's life is full of time for reflection, and whilst surveying your garden one summer morning, I began to get itchy feet.

'I came to the conclusion that the world is a big place and there is more to life than watching the daily commuter traffic, and allowing passing cats to urinate on you.

'So I decided to free myself from the doldrums of the Shire and seek adventure. My travels have taken me across three continents, 12 countries and more time zones than I can possibly remember.

New Zealand: Murphy joins some ice-climbers

'There have been high points, low points, and positively terrifying points. But I have survived - small thanks to the companion with whom I have shared all these moments.'

The bizarre crime echoes the French film 'Amelie' starring Audrey Tatou in which a gnome belonging to her father is taken around the world and photographed to show him how much he is missing out on in life.

Last night grandmother-of-three Mrs Stuart-Kelso said: 'The leprechaun went missing many, many months ago and I had forgotten about it.

'Then I opened the door on Thursday and saw he was back. It was such a shock.

'Murphy was quite badly damaged and there was a tightly wrapped parcel next to him. My curiosity eventually overcame my alarm, because I did wonder if it might explode.

'Then I saw it was a beautifully bound photo album and opened it up.

His feet were missing, but that's no real surprise given that he was sent abseiling down a mountain.'

Stunned: Grandmother Eve Stuart-Kelso found her gnome on her doorstep, with a letter and photo album of his travels

She said while strange, the gift had sent the family into fits of laughter.

She said her grandchildren, Sophie, 14, Ellie, 13, and Piers, 13, would be thrilled to hear of the gnome's adventures. The trio give the green-hatted gnome a fresh coat of paint every year.

Gloucestershire police took a less amused view of the adventure.

A spokesman said: 'Any theft of a person's property, even if it is carried out as a joke, will be treated as a crime by police.'

As for Murphy, his wanderlust satisfied he is now back in the flower bed where he belongs - only this time he's out of temptation's way in the back garden.

Future Events

2008-08-14T13:00:00.006-06:00

I thought I would post about a couple of events coming up in Mazatlan worth mentioning. First, on Saturday, August 30 2008, the city is planning a memorial to Angela Peralta, the "Mexican Nightingale", on the 125th anniversary her death. The morning of Aug. 30, 2008, the mayor will place a wreath at the graveyard where Peralta was buried, and another wreath at theatre. He will then inaugurate an exposition of Peralta memorabilia in the upstairs gallery of the theater. In the evening at 8:00 p.m., the story of the life of this famous diva will be presented at the theater, with a prize-winning soprano and a Cuban pianist performing and some readings from a book on Peralta's life by the author.

Then for all you bird watchers, the first Mazatlan Bird Festival is happening January 16-19 2009. They are having birding tours, exhibits, speakers, all kinds of stuff:
http://www.mazatlanbirdfestival.com/

You may have heard about it, but in the last two days in the U.S., a body of a bigfoot in was found in Georgia AND a live chupacabra was taped in Texas. Not to be outdone, I got a picture of the Loch Ness monster, apparently it was vacationing here in Mazatlan!!

jus' 'cause

2008-08-11T21:58:00.004-06:00

Something reminded me of this today and I am posting it solely for me and a couple of my friend's amusement......I apologize to anyone else who might stumble across this......

"We don't got no rocks......." .....bartender, Conroe,Texas, June 2004, name unknown
(I keep saying this is worthy of a t-shirt)

No se.

2008-08-10T19:37:00.019-06:00

I am posting, well, just because I have not posted in a long time. I really don't have too much to say! My summer started with some really close friends from Galveston that were in town for 6 weeks. Shout out to the Pappous Family!! They own a condo at EDM where David works, so we spent ALOT of that period staying out there and just hanging with them. It was a nice, lazy time! David and I then had a "quick" trip to Baja ( it was supposed to be 2 nights, ended up being a week, and an overall nightmare ) The ferry was actually a surprisingly, cool adventure! I was expecting the chicken bus version, and it was really nice! I very much recommend spending the extra pesos and getting a cabin, it is worth it solely for the bathroom factor! To sum it up, compare it to using your own toilet, to one on the malecon about 5:30 am during Carnaval. Yea. Ick. Anyway, quite frankly, I have never really liked anywhere I had been in Baja previously, and this trip did not change my mind *EXCEPT* for La Paz. We both really enjoyed that place alot. It was almost a Mini-Mazatlan, plus more heat, minus the rain and waves. Beautiful malecon with alot of statues, excellent food, friendly people, interesting history, nice arts/music community for such a small town...... One BIG difference was, in La Paz, when you try to cross the street, traffic comes to a grinding halt on both sides! Apparently, pedestrians are king there! Here, in Mazatlan....the best way I can think of describing how to try and cross the street is a human version of the video-game, "Frogger". (And my parents thought all those hours I spent playing video games would do me no good! Ha!) After that, I had a last minute trip to Virginia that got extended for a few days. I did manage to load up on bras and books! Then, I arrived home to start working full-time, baby-sitting a puppy, and begining to think about packing for our move to El Centro ( I hate moving - I would rather lick a bathroom floor). I would elaborate on the work thing a bit more, but I think that I better see if I make an ass of myself before I start to really put it out there! Anyway, once I get settled into some sort of a routine, I'll ramble on a bit more. Until then, to quote a good friend of mine, Cindy;
"Peace and chicken grease!"

Coping with the heat

2008-07-06T22:02:00.007-06:00

I would first like to thank Nancy and Jennifer for making me feel like a poor blogger since I have not posted in quite a while. It did work, and got me off my world wide web rear! (say that fast 5 times in a row) While I do have my excuses for the last few weeks, quite frankly, I am (obviously) not exactly one of the more reliable bloggers and can be a bit lazy.
It is getting warmer and a common subject, both around town and Latin American bloggers is how to deal with the heat. There are all kinds of ways to do it; lots of fans, wear only cotton clothing, use umbrellas, etc. I thought I would enlighten everyone on the "Sans Method". To put it simply, I have embraced the siesta idea with total abandon and I nap. Usually, I tend to wake up about sunrise or a little afterwards. During the winter, I'll lay around most of the morning drinking tea, watching the news, and surfing the net and then do my "out of house chores" in the afternoon. Summer is different. I get up, and run what ever errands I have in the morning. It is cooler, and I have also found that most Mexicans wait until early afternoon to hit the grocery stores and such, so it is also more quiet. If I have no errands, I'll just don a bathing suit and lay around the pool listening to both the wisdom and dysfunctionality ( is that a word??) of Howard Stern via my wonderful Sirius boom box all morning. From either scenario, I hit lunch early afternoon. The key here for me is wine. I am not a natural napper, so I need a little something to push me over that edge. Enter stage right - Senor Vino Tinto. How much I drink depends on what I consume. If I eat something heavy, like, I don't know, a steak, I need only one glass. If I eat a salad, more is definitely required. By the time I eat lunch, it is usually 2-3 in the afternoon, at its warmest, most humid and officially nap time. I'll turn the AC on in the bedroom, take a cool shower and then nap for a couple of hours. By the time I wake up, the breeze has generally picked up, it is getting more pleasant and David is on his way home. It works perfectly for me! After that, add a couple week stint at the Betty Ford Center in late fall for "asthma" or "exhaustion" and I am well rested by the winter season! ( that's a joke, Mom!)

Househunting

2008-05-16T14:40:00.024-06:00

David wakes up on his day off to find me standing over him , "This house is too big, we're moving."

"Can I shower first?", he says.

We have lived in a 3 bedroom house since the mid 90's. It may seem like overkill for a couple with no kids, but we have always used the space. We have had friends that lived with us for extended periods of time, for various reasons, and we also love to entertain. It seemed that everytime we hosted a party, poker game, whatever, people have always stayed the night. Granted, other than a year spent in Dallas, we have always lived, either in the country, or in a small town a little ways from a city so our friends had to drive a few miles. When we moved to Mazatlan, we automatically went for the 3 bedroom category, and along with that, good parking and some sort of a yard were our priorities. We lived in a wonderful little house in El Centro for a couple of months while we looked for a permanent place to live, located 2 blocks from Plazuela Machado. We loved the place, and we loved living there, but it was a 1 bedroom, no parking, 5 blocks from the beach. Now, Chili the Wonder Dog is very, very active. She requires, at minimum, an hour of ball chasing a day, otherwise she is a hyperactive mess. Just taking a walk, no matter how far, does not even warm her up. She will also not do her 'business' on concrete, she requires something natural; grass, dirt, sand. Now, 5 blocks to the beach may seem pretty close, and I thought it was, until one morning came around that was very stormy and I was really sick. Five blocks in the pouring rain seemed like miles, and I had to hop a cab to get back so I could make the bathroom in time. Luckily, we found a great house in El Cid. It has a small yard, pool (which made me happy--this was to be the first time since I was 16 years old where I did not have a car or a job-I was worried about getting bored), 3 bedrooms, and right out our back gate is a par 5 hole. Now, normally, we are not your gated community type of people, so this was kind of a stretch. But then, this is Mexico, so it's not your average gated community. Case in point- there was a letter distributed about a month ago - " dogs are forbidden on the golf course, but if you do have a dog on the course, please pick up after it". It does have advantages, for one,we rarely lock the house, except at night or if we leave for a day or more. The guards are great, very observant and helpful. We came in one night with a pickup load of stuff from our storage in Nogales. Within 5 minutes of us pulling in, there were 4 guards to help us unload. What would have taken David and I, a couple of hours to do, they got done in about 10 minutes and they would not take a tip. I did make a big batch of cookies the next day and took them to the guardhouses. Another thing we love about it, is the golf course behind us. After 5 pm or so in the evenings, it becomes a park. Juan and his friends next door set up goals and play soccer. Maybe 3 houses further is more kids and a trampoline they pull out onto the fairway. There is also a gentleman that comes out with his two boys to hit golfballs up on the green. Add to this, several kids and dogs from other houses that come over to play with one or both groups. It is fun! There are lots of dogs that Chili plays with, but probably her best buddy is a big, brindle boxer named Tiger. If we are not out on the golf course as soon as he is, he will come to our back gate, flop those long, uncoordinated legs over it and bark until I let Chili out. We are also located on a cul-de-sac, so it is a very quiet spot, with little traffic of any kind. So, you ask, why do I want to move? First off, we have yet to use the third bedroom at all. Second bedroom, yes, but the third, no. Also, it would be one thing if we were renting a house full of our stuff. Well, we have no stuff. We sold all of our stuff when we moved to Mazatlan, so I have a 3 bedroom house full of someone elses stuff. That's no fun. Another thing is, most of the time I have the USS Ford, but when I don't, I have to walk 15 minutes to the front of El Cid just to catch a cab or bus, or find any type of store or resturant. I know that is not too far, but somedays it is just irritating. So, I am on the hunt for some new digs. This time a 2 bedroom, but we have to stick with the secured parking and a yard of any size and/or within 1, maybe 2 blocks of a park, beach, or any type of green (or brown) area. We are really not picky about the neighborhood, to a point, of course, although we would LOVE to be back in El Centro. Of course, parking and green areas are hard to come by there. Wish me luck, it seems I will need it. It is weird this year, usually by now, rentals are flooding the market, with the snowbirds flying the coop, but for some reason it is not happening yet. I have had a realtor friend helping me look and she is even shocked at the lack of rentals available for this time of year. Luckily for us, we are in no hurry, so I will keep plugging along until the perfect place appears!!

Happy Monday!

2008-05-12T09:07:00.002-06:00

This is another website that makes me laugh;

see more dog pictures

Mango Pudding

2008-05-10T15:48:00.004-06:00

Mangos are showing up at the markets, this is a great way to eat some;

Mango Pudding

Ingredients:

2 envelopes (1 tablespoon) unflavored gelatin

3/4 cup (175 mL) sugar

1 cup (250 mL) hot water

3 cups (750 mL) pureed fresh mangoes

1 cup (250 mL) 2 percent evaporated milk

8 ice cubes

lime wedges, fresh mango slices for garnish

Preparation:

Add gelatin and sugar to hot water and mix until dissolved and smooth.In large bowl, mix mango puree, evaporated milk and ice cubes. Pour gelatin mixture into mango mixture and stir until ice cubes are melted. Pour mixture into jelly mould and chill until set, at least 3 hours. To serve, dip jelly mould briefly in hot water then turn pudding out onto platter. Squeeze on some lime juice, garnish with mango slices if desired and serve. (Best eaten within a day). Serves 8.

Muchas Gracias!!!

2008-04-22T08:50:00.006-06:00

They said it couldn't be done. "It's too late in the season, too many people have already left town".

Ha! We proved them wrong! The benefit went great. Better than great. We were expecting 100, hoping for 150 people. There was over 200 stuffed in the Purple Onion and alot of money (and awareness) was raised! Thank you!! Because of all of this Conrehabit has some breathing room and the parritos will get some much needed supplies.

The "Gringo Workday" did not go exactly as planned since it was so packed. Instead it was "Gringos Just Trying To Help the Staff And Not Get In Their Way Too Much Day". A big thanks to the businesses and individuals that contributed prizes for the raffle; The Purple Onion, Mr Aces, Olas Altas Steakhouse, Soul and Spirit Ventures, Casa de Leyendes, Estrella del Mar, Carlos and Lucias, Tom and Cathy Coonce, Autumn Brown (massage therapist), the Patricia Belle, Unico Gift Shop, Brentster, Dick Damron....I think that's it. Jennifer Swarts of Deadeye Design was wonderful in helping me with flyers. Dick Damron, the Brentster, and the rest of the musicians were great and there was alot of diffrent genres played. It was some kind of fun! There were jello shots, raffles, and dance contests. Alot of new friendships were made that afternoon as well-----or so I was told-----I was way too busy behind the bar to mingle! I did meet one couple who were ending their 'Mexico Tour '08', that they had been on to see where they were going to retire. They told me that after all the other places they had visited, they were pretty much set on Mazatlan, but they had so much fun and met so many friendly people at the benefit, they now have no doubts! Welcome to Mazatlan, Robert & Sandie!

Before I close, I want to send a big 'shout-out' to Howard, the staff of the Purple Onion, and also to my fellow "Onion-Heads" that were dragged into helping with this deal. You guys rule!!

For anyone still wanting to help out, here is the Conrehabit link once again:

http://www.conrehabit.org/view.php?id=2.

Here is a collection of pictures from several people around town of the parrots being fed;

http://picasaweb.google.com/maximphoto/CONREHABITRESCUEPARROTS?pli=1

One more link, this is an article about Conrehabit and a previous rescue:

http://massarticle.com/articles18758-tourists-be-aware-the-dark-side-of-wildlife-trafficking.html

Mazatlan is going to the birds!!

2008-04-14T09:39:00.011-06:00

There was an incident in Culican two weeks ago that involved 2 guys, a pickup, telephone booth and 476 illegal birds. Here is the article; http://www.noroeste.com.mx/publicaciones.php?id=364634&id_seccion=10 .

Flash forward to today and because of this there are almost 300 baby parrots , estimated to be about four weeks old, being hand fed three times a day by alot of volunteers around Mazatlan with baby cereal embedded under their nails. The above picture is one I found on the web of a half moon conure which is the breed they are said to be. Right now they look kinda like that, but alot smaller and no feathers! For pictures and video of some of the actual orphaned birds see; http://countdowntomexico.blogspot.com/.

The group that is spearheading the effort is Conrehabit, which is a local organization that rescues and rehabilitates wildlife. It has been a huge job for all involved and once they are able to eat and survive on their own they will be released into the wild at the Conrehabit ranch. I do not have any parrots to feed, although I did receive a call yesterday that there were a couple that were not doing so well and I may be caring for them. I am helping to organize a benefit, however! For anyone in town this week, we are having a "Gringo Workday" at the Purple Onion, this Sunday April 20 from 3-6 pm. Howard from the Onion and Major from Mister A's will be manning the grill for a 'build your own' hamburger and hot dog bar. Myself and Italiano Joe will be handling the bar with happy hour prices and there will be a jam session with several musicians including Dick Damron. We will be running a raffle and the prizes include a golf/dinner/condo package at Estrella del Mar, wines, jewelry, art, two at home massages, gift certificates to various restaurants and more. It will definitely be alot of fun! For those of you that are not here, don't worry, you can still help! Just go to the Conrehabit website and click on the PayPal button. http://www.conrehabit.org/view.php?id=2 .

Also, next time you are in Mazatlan, swing by the Conamigos Bazaar to either shop or drop off that knick knack that you are tired of looking at! It is located in Centro, Calle Luis Zuniga #505 and all the proceeds help both Conrehabit and Amigos de los Animales. That is all for now, I am off to run around town and beg for more raffle prizes!

Los Monumentos

2008-04-06T16:22:00.008-06:00

There seem to be alot of monuments in Mazatlan, here are a few;

These top two pictures are from one of the more notable ones and is called La Continuidad de la Vida (The Continuation of Life). It depicts a couple on a huge seashell overlooking a school of dolphins. The man, who points to the horizon, offers the future to the woman, where they will search for happiness together and protect living things. The snail shell on which the couple stand is particularly important because the snail traditionally represents continuity and eternity of life in the universe.

El Venadito (Little Deer) is located on the malecon in Olas Altas. This monument symbolizes Mazatlan and the city's Indian heritage. The name Mazatlan is from the Nahuatl Indian word, Mazatl, which means deer. Therefore, Mazatlan is the "Land of the Deer". The monument itself was designed by Yucatan artist Rolando Arjona Amabilies and was dedicated by a Masonic Lodge member sometime between 1975 and 1977. A few months ago a group of cowboys from Culiacan roped him from the back of a pickup and dragged him down the malecon. I am sure copius amouts of alcohol had a little something to do with that incident. Since then a new deer was smelt and mounted and the perpetrators are doing some hard time!

La Sirena (The Siren) sits on the rocks, overlooking the ocean, near the clavadistas (cliff divers). You cannot see him from this angle, but sitting on her other side is a cupid like character. I do not know anything about her history.

Also on the malecon in Olas Altas, and across from the Devil's Cave, sits La Mujer Mazatleca (The Mazatleco Woman)and she represents the women of Mazatlan, who are said to be among the most beautiful women in the world. This monument, which was created in Mexico City, was unveiled by Jalisco composer Gabriel Ruiz on November 23, 1983. Ruiz is well-known in Mazatlan for composing the music for such songs as "Mazatlan," "Nights of Mazatlan" and "Secret from Mazatlan."

This is a mermaid that gazes over the ocean. Again, on the malecon in Olas Altas, and above the saltwater pool. I have no more information about her, either!

It's nice to have famous friends!

2008-03-28T08:15:00.005-07:00

Victoria is a very good friend of mine. She was here to visit me this past fall, so we, of course, had a house party. She was kind enough to first read tarot cards for us, then led an impromptu belly dancing class. I still hear about it from the people that attended; "You throw the BEST parties!"

In Marietta, Turkish dance taught with Southern flavor

By KAREN ROSEN

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 03/20/08

.
The aroma of Mediterranean and Turkish cuisine wafting upstairs from Efe's restaurant on Marietta Square is a temptation hard to ignore.
But these women aren't here to eat.
They're here to belly dance.
Bodies undulate to the beat of the music as hundreds of coins jingle on hip scarves.
"It's very liberating," said Victoria Logan, the instructor whose "dance name" is Inara.
Her students have explored more than freedom of expression since she opened the studio, Belly Dance Oasis, late last year.
One is learning how to move a body that's free of disease, but feels different. Others are pursuing independence. And others simply wanted a release from the gym.
Sharon Shillinger had reconstructive surgery in July 2006 following breast cancer.
Her body, she said, was rearranged.
"Instead of having the muscle down here, it's moved over here," said Shillinger, 52, of Marietta.
She found it difficult to exercise, but belly dancing eases her stiffness. Her daughter, Abigail House, 21, often takes classes with her and they've set up a mirror in their basement.
"I don't look so good doing it, but it feels good stretching," Shillinger said. "After you've been chopped up, you don't feel sexy. This is bringing that back again."
She's even belly dancing with a new belly button.
"The old one was better," Shillinger said, "but this one I'm getting used to."
Felicia Head, 35, Katie Lax, 27, and Maria Marrotta, 19, are residents of Just People, an independent living program in Roswell for adults with developmental disabilities.
Taking classes is part of their community integration program.
Head, who insists on being called "Amirah Princess, belly dancer," practices all the time and takes private lessons with Stacy Abston.
"I like snake arms," Head said, referring to a specific move.
How does belly dancing make her feel?
"I feel perfect," she said.
Leigh Hale, her case manager with Just People, said the dancing has boosted Head's self-esteem.
"It gives her more of a purpose," Hale said.
Elizabeth Trask's doctors made her take up belly dancing. Well, sort of.
"I was told by at least three doctors that I should exercise —not just more, but in general," said Trask, 29, of Austell. "This is as close as it gets."
Belly dancing isn't the only exercise Isabel Green does, but she said, "it sure beats doing sit-ups."
Belly dancing also has helped her get over some insecurities.
"It's changed my entire self-image," said Green, 30, of Kennesaw. "I'm very klutzy outside, and it's helped with my grace and coordination.
"It makes me feel kind of sexy," she said. "My husband likes it."
Trask hasn't bought into the seductive aspects of belly dancing.
"I don't know what I'm seducing since I have cats and a dog and no man," she said, "so I just find it fun."
Does she dance for her pets? "Absolutely," Trask said.
"And they think I'm nuts, and the dogs jump all over me while I'm doing it because they think I'm playing. And I qualify that as exercise of the week."
Susan Coward has performed in a couple of recitals since she began taking lessons a couple of years ago.
"I thought I would never do that," said Coward, 45, of Marietta. "I thought, 'There is no way I'm wearing essentially a bra and going out there with my stomach hanging out.'
"But it was so much fun, and all of us were thrilled."
Now Coward would like to solo.
"I'd like to feel good enough to not even have a routine," she said, "but just have the music come on and be able to dance."
Inara, who performs in shows at Efe's restaurant on Friday and Saturday nights, teaches a style that mimics Turkish dance, but with American fusion and a Southern flavor.
When she tells her students to "scootch," they know how to move across the floor.
Although belly dancing has become part of a new workout trend, Inara said there's still a bit of a stigma attached.
The 39-year-old mother of two said she has fielded phone calls from drunk men asking for a private dance. Some have even gotten her husband on the phone — and still asked for her.
"People automatically assume that it's about sex and stripping," Inara said. "Part of it is just a celebratory dance."
"Women are so self-conscious about their bodies," she added. "They're scared they'll get laughed at, or they won't do it right. I get all shapes, sizes, ages and levels of experience. Belly dancing is very accommodating."
Inara said older dancers have had more life experiences, which helps them portray the music.
"You know true happiness," she said, "because you've known true sadness."

Amigos

2008-03-27T10:23:00.000-07:00

This picture just makes me giggle.

Red Light Shopping

2008-03-26T07:42:00.005-07:00

Things I have spent pesos on at traffic lights:

newspapers

tacos

chiclets

entertainment (jugglers, firedancers, etc.)

fruit (strawberries, mangos, watermelons, etc)

little wooden, colorful animals with the bobbing heads (I like putting them on my printer)

fruit juice (mango, orange, limeade.........)

tamales

windshield washing (some better than others)

cheese

fireworks including VERY large sparklers

peanuts (raw and roasted)

beach bag

Mexican flag

caramel popcorn balls

candied apples
shrimp/scallops

free pass to heaven (maybe not quite that, but I always have change for various charities in the cupholder)

Happy Monday!

2008-03-10T07:37:00.003-07:00

To ease back into Monday, give these two blogs a look-see. They both tend to make me blow whatever beverage I am drinking out of my nose!

http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.wordpress.com/

http://icanhascheezburger.com/

Housecalls are cool!

2008-03-06T07:10:00.004-07:00

So one morning last week I woke up about 3 am to a very active bowel area. David found me 3 hours later on the toilet with the trashcan between my knees - everything in my lower torso was cramping up and spewing like a geyser. David was trying to find out what was going on (other than the obvious) and all I could do was moan, grunt and occasionally point. He went downstairs, made a couple of phone calls to work, then came back upstairs to tell me he was taking me to the doctor. Our doctor does not get in to his office until 10-ish and his office is in El Centro, where parking the USS Ford is a large pain in the rear, so I informed David that unless he commandeered a porta-potty and strapped it down in the back of the truck for me to ride in, there was no way I could make it. Truth be known, I think I actually only managed to blurt out the word "can't", but he managed to translate. Luckily, we have Dr Torres' cell phone number and as it turns out he lives very near us, so he popped in here at the house on his way to the clinic. He gave me an exam, wrote out some prescriptions and informed me he was going to give me a shot. Now, I was raised around the farming/ranching business and worked as a veterinary technician for 15 years, so I have utilized countless needles, both with animals and people. The problem is, when one is pointed in my direction, I become a quivering mass that can only blurt out "no, no, no, no, no, no". I'll blame that on my brother, he ruined Santa for me at an early age, used to put a beanbag on top of me, sit on it and make me listen to KISS for hours, so I am sure he probably made me watch some torture movie that involved needles and dentist drills at an impressionable age. Anyways, to David's complete shock, Dr Torres had barely finished the sentence and I was already flopped over with a buttock exposed. I just wanted everything to STOP! Within a couple of hours of his visit, the cramping had ceased, but I was still throwing up every 15-20 minutes and that continued all day. Dr Torres had called to check on me early afternoon, and said he would be by on his way home around 6 or so. It turned out, he had an emergency surgery so he called David with an electrolyte solution (1 liter of water, 1/2 tsp of salt, 8 tablespoons of sugar) for me to sip on and he would call after he got out of surgery. As it turned out, during that time period, everything calmed and there was no need for a return visit or more shots. Dr Torres coming to the house to treat me was the best 400 pesos I think I have ever spent! It really took me about a week to get straight, but I am back in the saddle now! Thanks Dr Torres!!!

Christmas Trees and the Legend of the Poinsettia

2007-12-17T06:56:00.000-07:00

There is just something about seeing an underwear Christmas tree at the grocery store that really amused me!

Since I am posting Christmas trees, here is ours this year. That, and about a dozen poinsettias was my decorating in a nutshell. Oh, and of course the nativity scene to cover my catholic guilt for a year. I did not realize until I moved here that poinsettias are native to southern Mexico/Central America. The spanish translation for poinsettias is Flores de Noche Buena. Noche Buena means Holy Night, which is what they call Christmas Eve.

The legend of the poinsettia is about a poor Mexican girl named Pepita who had no gift to present the Christ Child at Christmas Eve Services. As Pepita walked slowly to the chapel with her cousin Pedro, her heart was filled with sadness rather than joy.
"I am sure, Pepita, that even the most humble gift, if given in love, will be acceptable in His eyes," said Pedro.
Not knowing what else to do, Pepita knelt by the roadside and gathered a handful of common weeds, fashioning them into a small bouquet. Looking at the scraggly bunch of weeds, she felt more saddened and embarrassed than ever by her offering. She fought tears as she entered the small village chapel.
As she approached the alter, she remembered Pedro's kind words: "Even the most humble gift, if given in love, will be acceptable in His eyes." She felt her spirit lift as she knelt to lay the bouquet at the foot of the nativity scene.
Suddenly, the bouquet of weeds burst into blooms of brilliant red, and all who saw them were certain that they had witnessed a Christmas miracle right before their eyes.
From that day on, the bright red flowers were known as the Flores de Noche Buena for they bloomed each year during the Christmas season.

How come I didn't think of that??

2007-12-08T08:20:00.000-07:00

A friend told me this story a couple of nights ago. I really don't know if it is true or not, I tried to research it a little on the net and came up with nothing, but it is genius marketing nonetheless. Supposedly in the 1970's, Corona was looking for ways to expand their market to the vacationing gringos. What they ended up doing was making a deal with the airlines and they placed cards in all the seats on flights to Mexico with frequently used phrases or words and the spanish translation. It was like this;

Good Morning--- Buenas Dias

Good Afternoon ---Buenas Tardes

Yes/No--- Si/No

Thank You--- Gracias

Please ---Por Favor,

And so on.

The list ended with;

Beer--- Corona

Apparently they went to number one in no time. I really hope that person got a bonus!

8 things about me; by Chili

2007-12-04T15:55:00.000-07:00

Chili here and this is my list of "8 random facts";

1. I grew up humbly on a rundown ranch in Bastrop, TX. I know, hard to tell by my regal manner, but I did leave it at 6 weeks of age.

2. I used to do missionary work, at least that is what I considered it to be. I worked with cattle in south Texas. Overall they were nice creatures, but not really that bright. They had to be shown how to walk as a group!! And not just once, EVERY DAY! Amazing they have made it so many years.

3. I was a fishing guide on Lake Conroe in Texas. This was done gratis as well. Some of the best fishermen currently on the lake learned from me! They would pick me up at the house and I would go help them out for the day. A few times I even had to dive in and grab the fish for them because it came off the hook. Why humans must complicate things and use a string and hook is beyond me. Simply, if you see a fish, jump in and snatch it up! You have opposable thumbs, how hard can it be!!

4. I like soccer, even though I do not know much about it. I am a native Texan, afterall, where football is king! Juan, the boy next door, lets me play soccer with he and his friends sometimes and it is fun. Of course, I am partial to any game that involves balls. I do like playing with the kids too, adult humans tend to wear out faster.

5. I am bi-racial. True, I am pure australian cattle dog, but my dad was a blue merle and my mom was a red merle. I am told it was quite scandalous at the time.

6. I have peed on the side of the road in 4 states in the USA and 2 states in Mexico and I am only 3 years old!

7. I like martinis. I tend to stop people in their tracks when they see me sitting in a barstool and drinking one without spilling a drop or turning the glass over.

8. I love water. It is great to swim in, there are fish and birds. Other dogs and their humans tend to go there as well. Love it.

9. Some call me obsessive about balls. I prefer "focused".

10. I really like cats. My colleagues that are purists will most likely scoff at me because we are not supposed to like anything that refuses to comply to our herding directions, but they really do have their charms. Some of my best friends have been feline. Hanging out with cats probably helped me adjust to life here in 'Manana-land'. After all, I never met a cat that got in a hurry about anything except for maybe dinner.

(BTW- Sans forgot this in her previous post: There are a few rules one must follow to play the game. When tagged, you must link to the person who tagged you. Then post the rules before your list, and list eight random things about yourself. At the end of the post, you must tag and link to eight other people.)

Back to the real world and 8 random things about Sans

2007-11-28T12:19:00.000-07:00

We just spent a few days out at Estrella del Mar. It really was a great "not really a vacation" vacation. Even for David it was a nice break even though he, of course, worked. He did have a 1 minute commute and could take a nap at lunch. It was wonderful to have miles of empty beach and the only sounds that can be heard are the waves crashing and an occasional bird chirping. The traffic and noise of Mazatlan are a world away out there! Chili and I would start the day by walking about 20 minutes down the shore to the clubhouse and then I would hit some balls on the driving range. The rest of the day was spent deciding between "times" : pool time, beach time, tee time, and nap time. It was tough, light a candle for me.

We also let loose baby turtles one evening, which is quite a treat. I highly reccomend, if anyone is in Mazatlan during the hatching season (August through early December), you should go out to Estrella and help gather or release. It is one of those things that gives you a feeling hard to describe. It just feels good and we'll leave it at that! They do have a very succesful turtle egg program, last year they gathered over 75,000 eggs with about an 80% success rate.

Chili is one happy dog out there. Birds to chase, ocean to swim in, new people petting her. I had forgotten to pack a ball for her, but she managed to meet a strapping male yellow lab by the name of Bailey who had a tennis ball. Thank the gods for friends with benefits!

Ok, so now I have been tagged by both Victoria on myspace and Nancy of www.countdowntomexico.blogspot.com with the same game. Come up with 8 random facts about myself. I will play this a little diffrently since my knowledge of adding links to my blog and things like that are not exactly high on my marketable skills, so I won't be sending this on, but I will respond. Victoria has been a great friend since Dallas, 1991 or so. We met when I hired her to work with me at a veterinary clinic in Irving and we went together like peas and carrots! She is now in Atlanta belly dancing her way to fame and success (http://www.inarasbellydance.com). Nancy has a great blog that I have been reading from the onset. She started it when she and her husband decided to move to Mexico when he retired. The blog covers scouting trips, yard sales, decision making, remodeling the Mazatlan house and all. (Yes, they picked Mazatlan after all the traveling and research!) Anyways, here we go, useless information about me:

1. I hate open drawers and doors, must close them. Same goes for crooked pictures, must straighten. Now, ask me if I have brushed my hair today......

2. I am a classically trained flautist. For those not in the know, I used to play a mean flute.

3. I am a proud Spica-billy, half Spanish, half Appalachian-American.

4. I love boxes (chests, etc) ,bracelets and anything shiny. I was once told that I was half crow.

5. I read, ALOT and ANYTHING, kind of the same taste I have in music.

6. I played pool seriously for a number of years, I even played on an female

amateur 9-ball circuit and was ranked in the top 5 in Texas.

7. I will compete and/or gamble with anyone at anytime at whatever game.

8. I used to show hunter jumpers and one of my best mounts was actually a mammoth mule.

Best day ever!

2007-11-14T08:18:00.000-07:00

Mucho Lucha Libre

2007-11-08T11:23:00.000-07:00

As we are enjoying some shrimp, fresh mango juice with a touch of hooch, and a beautiful sunset on Isla de la Piedra Sunday, Juan says to us, "Do you guys have plans Wednesday night? It's time you saw some real Mexico". Hell yes, sign us up!! So we meet up with him and Corrina last night, pile in the USS Ford together and head to the German Evers Center. It is Lucha Libre night! Talk about a colorful cornucopia of sights, sounds, and smells. Draft beer, kids in masks, fireworks, sabritos, fake blood, grandmothers screaming and shaking fists at wrestlers, it was one loud, funny evening. There was even a midget chupacabra! He certainly rounded out the lineup perfectly. The wrestler's acrobatics were very good and they worked the crowd into a frenzy by the end of the night. We had an excellent time, it was certainly an entertaining change from our normal activities.

Sand dollar photos

2007-10-26T08:37:00.000-06:00

I call this series of photos;

"Waiting patiently for David to get off work" .

(yes, I was bored)

Ficus tree art

2007-10-19T13:09:00.000-06:00

Trees are not simply trimmed around here, they are formed into works of art!

The times they are a-changin'

2007-10-18T11:56:00.001-06:00

Monday night, David and I were discussing the weather, how there seemed to be no wind all weekend, but then it appeared again Monday in a different direction. Tuesday we awoke to a crisp morning and the windows have been open every since. Could it be rainy season is over? It is a little early and there is Tropical Storm Kiko churning off the coast keeping my hopes alive for another good squall (although it does not, at this time, look like it will impact us) We have had no rain for a couple of weeks, so I have been back to topping off the pool and watering plants. I did not realize how many more plants I had accumulated the last couple of months until I had to start hosing them down again! Anyways, I really hope summer is not coming to a close, it is my favorite season here. I love watching the thunderheads building over the mountains in the afternoon and the spectacular sunsets over the Pacific those very same clouds create. Something else we heard "pre-move" was about how brutal the summer months are in Mazatlan. After living through two of them, I can tell you this, add about 10 degrees to the temperature, keep the humidity the same, take away the ocean breeze and the frequent thunderstorms at night, add 4 months and you have San Antonio. I do realize that it is all relative depending on what you are used to, of course. Someone from Edmonton, for example, would find it a wee bit more uncomfortable than we do. Now don't get me wrong about the winter weather, it is great. Think 75-80 farenheight during the day, around 55-60 at night, low humidity. This lasts for 8 months and you will almost never see rain, so to me, it does get just a little dull. Of course, in the bigger picture, there are alot worse things to bitch about!

Neighbors having a picnic

2007-10-13T09:11:00.000-06:00

Luckily I have had no problems with iguanas eating plants in my yard yet, but how would you iguana-proof? We did have leaf cutter ants ambush us one night this past summer. I walked out the back door, hot mug of tea in my hand, ready to enjoy a lovely morning only to find all my plants with no leaves and a path that looked like a herd of buffalo created where everything was perfectly normal the evening before.

A bad day fishing is better than (fill in blank)

2007-10-04T01:02:00.000-06:00

So it wasn't the best day catch-wise, but nothing beats good friends, sunny skies, and an excellent meal to round off the day. We went out fishing with Juan and Corinna, caught dorado and had Ken at Olas Altas Steakhouse cook it up for us. His resturant has become a favorite haunt for us - some of the best food we have had ANYWHERE, and trust me, we like to eat. We usually hold the bar up- look for us in there.

Festival Cultural Mazatlan 2007

2007-09-04T10:39:00.000-06:00

I thought I would post the schedule of events for the Cultural Festival this year. Keep in mind, the schedule can change! Check here for updates;

http://www.culturamazatlan.com/index_en.php

Octubre

18 Banda de Jazz Col. Flores Magon 20:00 hrs

19 Escuela de Ballet Clasico CMA Col. Flores Magon 20:00 hrs

23 Ballet Folklorio CMA La Noria 19:00 hrs

24 Angelique Kidjo Angela Peralta Theatre 20:00 hrs

25 Ensambles de Percusiones CMA Col Flores Magon 20:00 hrs

26 Escuela de Ballet Clasico CMA Col. Flores Magon 20:00 hrs

27 Danza Contemporanea CMA Col. Juarez 20:oo hrs

29 Banda de Jazz CMA Infonavit Playas 20:00 hrs

30 Escuela de Ballet Clasico CMA Infonavit Playas 20:00 hrs

31 Orquesta Sinfonica Junvenil CMA Col. Juarez 20:00 hrs

Noviembre

1 Callejoneada Exposicion dia del Muertos Centro Historico 19:00 hrs

3 Hurkan Ayvazoglu/Flauta 20:00 hrs

8 Orquesta de Cuerdas Inglesia de San Jose 20:00 hrs

9 Jose Luis Cuevas Exposicion Galleria Angela Peralta 19:00 hrs

9-10 La Boheme Teatro Angela Peralta 20:00 hrs

13 Delfos Danza Contemporanea Teatro Angela Peralta 20:00 hrs

13 Camarata Mazatlan San Carlos Borromeo 20:00 hrs

16-17 Compania Nacional de Danza La Bella Durmiente Teatro Angela Peralta 20:00 hrs

16-17 Compana Nacional de Danza Un cuento de ballet Teatro Angela Peralta 12:00 hrs 18 Compana Nacional de Danza La Bella Durimiente Teatro Angela Peralta 12:00 hrs

19 Exposicion Fotografica "Cultura el incio" Plazuela Machado 19:00 hrs

21 Pasarela Pacifica Teatro Angela Peralta 20:00 hrs

23 Jazzarata Betuco Jazz Band Camerata Mazatlan Teatro Angela Peralta 20:00 hrs

27 Requiem de Mozart Teatro Angela Peralta 20:00 hrs

28 Tributo a Queen Fabrica de Villa Union 20:00 hrs

30 Don Pasquale Teatro Angela Peralta 20:00 hrs

Diciembre

1 Don Pasquale Teatro Angela Peralta 20:00 hrs

4-5 La Boheme para ninos Teatro Angela Peralta 10:00 y 12:00 hrs

5 Camerata Mazatlan Inglesia Christiana 20:00 hrs

6 Orquestra de Cuerdas Inglesia de la Sagrada Familia 20:00 hrs

7 Jane Saborio Exposicion de Pintura Galeria Angela Peralta 19:00 hrs

8 Tania Libertad en concierto Teatro Angela Peralta 20:00 hrs

10 Romance de Tablao Miura Expresion Flamenco Teatro Angela Peralta 20:00 hrs

14-15 Gala Navidena Teatro Angela Peralta 20:00 hrs

17 El Cascanueces Escuela de Ballet Clasico CMA Teatro Angela Peralta 20:00 hrs

18 El Cascanueces Ecsuela de Ballet Clasico CMA Teatro Angela Peralta 18:00 y 20:00 hrs

Another day in paradise...

2007-08-30T17:22:00.000-06:00

So, we have now been living in Mazatlan for about a year and a half. We are definately still loving it and have not regretted this decision for a moment. The people here are warm and gracious and we genuinely feel part of the community. Things are diffrent, for sure, in some ways good, some ways bad, but David and I both feel the quality of our lives have overall improved. There is a slower pace, for example, I am currently on Day Three of Satellite Hookup Watch. Things like that do not really bother me, though. We have lived the last 15 years in a place where the 'request for service call' always ended with, "There will be a technician in your part of the county the end of next week, will someone be home between Wednesday 9 am and Saturday 3 pm?". In other ways, service is exemplary. We had a toilet problem about a year ago. I won't go into details, but let's just say I would have moved and left everything behind rather than to have dealt with it myself. I got a number to a plumber who came highly reccomended, and he was at the house within 30 minutes. It probably took him an hour or so to fix it. He then, very nervously, was telling me what a mess it was and because of that he was charging me more than his normal fee. The "more than normal fee" came to a total of 200 pesos (that would be about 20 USD). I tipped him. The abundance of inexpensive, fresh fruits, vegetables, and seafood year round has us spoiled. I have about four spots in town where the price for a kilo(2.2 lbs) of jumbo shrimp consistently runs around 45 pesos(4.50 USD). I like that my house gets cleaned from top to bottom twice a week for 300 pesos. I like never having to pump my own gas, wash my vehicle, or load my groceries. Color me rotten. Two things that I can say I was somewhat nervous about, because of reputations, were healthcare and police, not neccesarily in that order. Knock on wood, I have only been pulled over here in Mazatlan twice, both times for speeding. Anyone that knows me, knows that if I go six months without a speeding ticket, I obviously was never behind the wheel during that period. Each time, I was let go with a warning and one was even a federale and they are famous for ticketing their own grandmothers. As far as the healthcare situation goes, I had an emergency appendectomy last October here at the Sharp Hospital. We got to the emergency room about 11 pm, saw the doctor, had the labwork done and was talking to the specialist by 1 am. I was waking up and recovering in my nice big private room by 6 am. Menus every meal (and good food!), four nights in a private room with american TV, handsome doctors, cleanliness and efficency that would make alot of US hospitals blush, PR ladies checking in with me twice a day to see if I needed anything. All this came to a grand total, which, by the way, was on ONE sheet of paper, of 35000 pesos (yuppers, that's 3500 USD!). Crazy. Anyway, I have two goals for the next year of living here, improve my spanish ALOT and to post here more often. We'll see how it goes!

Happy Independence Day!

2007-07-04T08:26:00.000-06:00

Happy Fourth of July to our fellow NOB'ers! Since one of the key elements to the 4th of July is hot dogs, I thought I would include this picture of a stand we saw while at the Plaza de Toros a couple of nights ago for a bullriding. (sorry-no pictures from that- it was a torrential downpour from start to finish-we were soaked but it made for interesting bull riding!) Because of all the jokes as to what is REALLY in hot dogs, the name of this particular stand gave us a good chuckle.

Help?!

2007-06-20T13:31:00.001-06:00

Anybody know what type of tree this is?

Pies and Politicians

2007-06-14T14:20:00.000-06:00

This is the Banana Creme Pie recipe made famous by Daniel's Resturant in Copala. Apparently it was a favorite of Bill Clinton. I don't think we should hold grudges about politcs with desserts, in my opinion, so here it is! This is the recipe as it was given to me, so it is a little awkward in places. Enjoy!

Copala Banana Coconut Creme Pie

Pie Crust:

2 cups flour

4 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup lard or Crisco

3 to 4 tbsps cold water

Stir together flour, salt and sugar. Cut lard or Crisco into flour mixture. Sprinkle 1 tbsp water over the mixture. Gently toss with a fork. Push to side of bowl until all is moistened. Form dough with hands. Roll dough out and place in a 9" pie plate. Bake at 250 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Filling:

1 cup of evaporated milk

1 cup of Sugar

1 cup water

1/4 cup butter

1 tsp vanilla

3 tbsp flour

4 egg yolks

1 cup fresh coconut flakes

2 to 3 sliced bananas

In a saucepan, combine sugar, flour and gradually add milk and water. Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly. Reduce heat and cook 2 more minutes. Remove from heat. Beat egg yolks in a separate bowl. Gradually stir into saucepan. Cook 2 more minutes, remove and add butter and vanilla. Pour hot filling into shell. Add banana and coconut. Spread merangue over filling. Bake at 350 12 to 15 minute

Wow.

2007-06-13T07:12:00.001-06:00

Nineteenth-Century Harpoon Found in Live Whale
Wednesday, June 13, 2007

BOSTON — A 50-ton bowhead whale caught off the Alaskan coast last month had a weapon fragment embedded in its neck that showed it survived a similar hunt — more than a century ago.
Embedded deep under its blubber was a 3½-inch arrow-shaped projectile that has given researchers insight into the whale's age, estimated between 115 and 130 years old.
"No other finding has been this precise," said John Bockstoce, an adjunct curator of the New Bedford Whaling Museum.
Calculating a whale's age can be difficult, and is usually gauged by amino acids in the eye lenses. It's rare to find one that has lived more than a century, but experts say the oldest were close to 200 years old.
The bomb lance fragment, lodged in a bone between the whale's neck and shoulder blade, was likely manufactured in New Bedford, on the southeast coast of Massachusetts, a major whaling center at that time, Bockstoce said.
It was probably shot at the whale from a heavy shoulder gun around 1890.
The small metal cylinder was filled with explosives fitted with a time-delay fuse so it would explode seconds after it was shot into the whale. The bomb lance was meant to kill the whale immediately and prevent it from escaping.
The device exploded and probably injured the whale, Bockstoce said.
"It probably hurt the whale, or annoyed him, but it hit him in a non-lethal place," he said. "He couldn't have been that bothered if he lived for another 100 years."
The whale harkens back to far different era. If 130 years old, it would have been born in 1877, the year Rutherford B. Hayes was sworn in as president, when federal Reconstruction troops withdrew from the South and when Thomas Edison unveiled his newest invention, the phonograph.
The 49-foot male whale died when it was shot with a similar projectile last month, and the older device was found buried beneath its blubber as hunters carved it with a chain saw for harvesting.
"It's unusual to find old things like that in whales, and I knew immediately that it was quite old by its shape," said Craig George, a wildlife biologist for the North Slope Borough Department of Wildlife Management, who was called down to the site soon after it was found.
The revelation led George to return to a similar piece found in a whale hunted near St. Lawrence Island in 1980, which he sent to Bockstoce to compare.
"We didn't make anything of it at the time, and no one had any idea about their lifespan, or speculated that a bowhead could be that old," George said.
Bockstoce said he was impressed by notches carved into the head of the arrow used in the 19th century hunt, a traditional way for the Alaskan hunters to indicate ownership of the whale.
Whaling has always been a prominent source of food for Alaskans, and is monitored by the International Whaling Commission.
A hunting quota for the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission was recently renewed, allowing 255 whales to be harvested by 10 Alaskan villages over five years.
After it is analyzed, the fragment will be displayed at the Inupiat Heritage Center in Barrow, Alaska.

Sunset over Deer and Bird Islands

2007-06-12T13:03:00.000-06:00

I don't know if it is because I am still in the honeymoon stage of living here, but I swear the sunsets are spectacular every night. I do think that for whatever reason(s) the summertime ones are the best.

Banda Music

2007-03-25T09:10:00.000-07:00

Nothing says "Welcome to Mexico" quite like moving into a neighborhood where two banda groups practice and throw parties. Banda is a type of music that originated here in the state of Sinaloa during the late 1930's, and exploded in popularity during the 1990's. The groups usually consist of 12-20 members. There are generally 2 singers and the rest are brass, percussion and woodwinds. Let me assure you, they play with alot of heart, soul and most importantly, lungs! Me, being the former band geek that I was, can really appreciate this music. It is most definately lively! We have one group on the same side of the street, two doors down and another across the street and catty corner from us. Trust me, when they get wound up, they may as well be playing at the foot of our bed! The nights that they practice is not too bad, they usually wrap up around midnight or so. The nights they have parties is a whole other matter. The latest I recall that one band played was until 10 am the next morning. I found this clip on YouTube of Banda el Recodo, considered to be one of the best, to give you an idea of the sound.

The "Colonial Pearl"

2007-03-24T09:19:00.001-07:00

David, Mom and I made another road trip to a neighboring village. This time we chose El Quelite (founded in 1564) about 40 minutes north of Mazatlan on highway 15. It is a pueblita consisiting of brightly colored houses, rolling cobblestone streets and flowers so vibrant it almost hurt to look at them. There is a famous song called “Que bonito es El Quelite” (How beautiful is El Quelite), this song is very well known in all of Latin American. Anyways, for a small place there seems to be alot of activity; the largest game cock farm in Northern Mexico, charrerias and ulama games are held often, there are 17th century paintings in the church, cheese factory, a very good bakery, couple of inns, etc. We had a good lunch at El Meson de Los Laurenos. This place is a resturant and hotel and is owned and run by Dr. Marcos Osuna Tirado. He is a talkative fellow, and will happily sit with you and answer any questions you may have. He was born and raised in what is now the hotel, and he only left long enough to attend medical school. He has made making El Quelite a tourist destination, while keeping it a traditional colonial village, his lifes work. For his efforts, it was named one of the 10 most beautiful colonial villages of Mexico.

Jalapeno Chicken

2007-03-22T15:25:00.000-07:00

Here's another popular request for my peeps:

Jalapeno Chicken

6 chicken breasts

1/2 cup lime juice

1/4 cup honey

2 TB cilantro

3 jalapeno peppers (diced)

2 TB soy sauce

3 cloves garlic (chopped)

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Combine all ingredients(except chicken of course) and process until smooth. Reserve 1/4 cup marinade and pour remaining over chicken breasts. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours. Drain chicken and grill, turn and brush with marinade as needed.

Buen Provencho!

Random Carnival Photos

2007-02-20T09:56:00.000-07:00

First Parade- "Sorcery in the Old Port"

2007-02-19T07:42:00.000-07:00

Carnaval!

2007-02-18T13:36:00.000-07:00

There has been a very obvious tingle in the air the last couple of weeks as Mazatlan has been preparing for Carnaval. Also traffic snags, and people, herds and herds of people. So far we have only attended two events, the first being a concert a couple of weeks ago at the Angela Peralta Theatre. It featured the Mazatlan Orchestra and three female opera singers singing various arias by Puccini. Please fogive me for I cannot remember the names of the ladies that sang. Regardless, it was excellent. Last night we watched the Ship to Shore Fireworks display. This is a show that comemmerates the successful defense of Mazatlán from the attacking French warship "La Cordeliere" in 1864 during the French-Mexican war. We chose to take the harbor cruise with Yates Fiesta. It was well worth it just for the view! We were in the harbor next to the ship that represented France so we had excellent seats! The pictures did not come out good, but they are kinda groovy!

For some reason I want a Martini........

Corn Casserole

2007-02-13T09:49:00.000-07:00

Okay, I am posting this after numerous requests from my culinary fan base. Buen Provencho!

Corn Casserole

1 c. dry elbow macaroni

1 can whole corn

1 can creamed corn

1/2 c. butter

1/2 c. chopped onion

1 can RoTel (diced tomatoes and chilies)

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 c. velveeta

We have lived in very warm climates, so there is nothing I try to avoid more than to use the stove. Heats the house up way too much. What I usually do is throw it all in a crock pot on high for a couple of hours and give it a stir every once in a while. You can also pour it into a casserole dish, then bake uncovered at 350 degrees for for 30 minutes, give it a good stir, then bake covered for another 30 minutes.

Whale Tale

2007-02-06T10:10:00.000-07:00

Ok, so David and I decided to go bottom fishing yesterday (panga boat, maybe 26-28 foot - fishing for red snapper, grouper, etc) By the way, we highly reccomend Pepe's Fishing for both deep sea and bottom fishing. Great guys and we have ALWAYS caught fish with them -(www.pepesfleet.com) Back to the story, it was an absolutlely beautiful day to be out on the water! The sun was shining, about 80 degrees, seas were nice and calm. Suddenly, we hear what sounded kind of like a muffled gunshot in the distance. We look around, then two whale tails appear splashing the water about 200 yards away. Really awesome! We watched them spew water out of their blowholes (hence the muffled sound we heard) and saw the tails splash for about a minute then they disappeared. There was silence and we saw nothing for about another 1-2 minutes. Then I hear the whale sounds just like on the Discovery Channel. Immediately I thought, no, I just want to hear that, it is really my imagination. Then we all heard them. Squeaks and other weird sounding whale talk. We notice it gets closer, and closer, and louder. Then next thing you know, the whale jabber is VERY LOUD and immediately below us, and the bottom of the boat actually seemed like it vibrated just a little from the sounds. We are staring at each other, eyes wide and jaws to our knees, when my reel took off like you wouldn't believe! I was amazed it didn't smoke. Yup, Sandy caught a whale. (it actually probably just ran through my line and got hooked, but whatever, it's my story) David, man of action, jumped in and cut the line. I couldn't do it, I was too busy staring at the reel and trying not to wet my shorts. Anyways, it was a very succesful day catch-wise! Red snapper, perch, yellow tail, sea bass, grouper, so on and so forth. We took some red snapper to The Purple Onion and told the chef to just do with the fish whatever he felt would be best. He lightly fried it and served it with three sauces on the side. A spicy cilantro sauce, a garlic sauce, and a veracruz sauce. They all three were my favorites, it just depended on which one I ate last.

Biggest one of the day (I caught it!) Notice the size 7 1/2 flip flop to give you an idea of length.

The gang at the fish cleaning tables.

El Faro

2006-12-29T10:14:00.000-07:00

Chili and I have been hiking up to El Faro light house a couple of times a week lately. Overall, it's a great hike, all 505 feet of it. It starts out as a rough trail then halfway up it is concrete stairs. The downside is right at the head of the trail is a waste water treatment plant, but within 5 minutes of the onset of the hike, you are on the other side of the hill from it. You get some great views throughout the entire hike! El Faro is the second naturally highest lighthouse in the world and the highest WORKING lighthouse (Gibraltor is the highest, but it's now a bed and breakfast) It was completed in 1879. The lamp had been handcrafted in Paris, France, and it was a big oil lamp with mirrors to enhance the light. Supposedly, since the light was static, in the distance it was often mistaken as a star. By 1905 this lamp was converted to a revolving lamp which is still in use today.

Pescadores

2006-11-08T16:24:00.000-07:00

Fishing with our good friends, Bobby and Melinda McKissack of New Braunfels! We went after marlin, but we only caught mahi-mahi. (Not like that's a bad thing, that's our favorite fish!) It was a beautiful day, and we saw a pod of dolphins that numbered in the hundreds. They put on quite a show for us!

Dia de los Muertos

2006-11-02T09:48:00.000-07:00

We had a rather cool look at some local culture last night. Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is celebrated here October 31 through November 2. The deal is, the spirits of the dead come back to earth once a year to spend time with their family. Normally, November 1 is set aside for remembrance of deceased infants and children, often referred to as angelitos (little angels), and those who have died as adults are honored November 2. Altars are placed with pictures of the deceased and also the four elements of nature are involved; earth, wind, water, and fire. Earth is represented by food, usually something the deceased liked, wind by a moving object, like tissue paper, water by a liquid, which can be water itself, although we also saw wine, beer, and tequila. The last is fire shown with candles. Each lit candle is for an individual soul, with an extra one for a forgotten soul. It sounds a bit morbid, but it is the exact opposite, it is very celebratory. Family members also gather at the cemetery for gravesite reunions. They also take this time to clean up around the gravesites, polish the headstones, etc. Last night we went to Plaza Machado for the holiday. Families had set up altars around the Plaza and after sunset there was a small parade. The parade consisted of someone dressed as La Muerte--Death, a couple of small brass bands, dancers, and two donkeys pulling carts with free Pacifico beer that was being handed out to the couple of hundred people that follow the parade. The parade route winded around the El Centro area and ended back at the Plaza, passing many altars familes had set up. There were fireworks being set off the entire time. It was quite an experience!

Storm debris

2006-09-28T11:22:00.000-06:00

Mexico-in-English: Veracruz

2006-09-27T10:39:00.000-06:00

I thought I would add this link, she has listed on her site several blogs about Mexico written in english. There is some really interesting reading!

Mexico-in-English: Veracruz

Live beach cam in Mazatlan

2006-09-26T14:59:00.000-06:00

http://www.innatmazatlan.com.mx/campage.html

This is a really cool cam, you can control it from your own computer!

Viva Mazatlan!!

2006-09-17T18:34:00.000-06:00

Overall, Mazatlan weathered Lane very well. The reports that I am hearing, thus far, say the eye passed about 10 miles north of the city. The infrastructure held up great, utilities were good. We even saw buses running at the height of the storm. Personally, we never lost electricity. We have heard from all parts of the city, some lost power, some had flickers, some never lost. There is water damage in places, wind damage, etc, but in other parts, almost nothing. There are exceptions, for example, the little town of Barron was completely overtaken by the Presidio River. There is certainly alot to cleanup and we will be busy over the next few days!

The road to Barron

2006-09-17T18:26:00.000-06:00

Chili surveying the hurricane damage.

Presidio River - Villa Union

2006-09-17T18:19:00.000-06:00

Here are a couple of views of the Presidio River at Villa Union. They were taken about 2 pm today. I really have no idea when the river crests, or if it already has.

Estrella del Mar- Post Lane

2006-09-17T18:10:00.000-06:00

Estrella was not bad off at all, considering. Lots of new water hazards! I could not get a clear picture, but where the Presidio River was entering the ocean was an amazing sight! The high and fast waters of the Presdio hitting the after hurricane ocean made for some massive crashes!

More from Lane

2006-09-16T20:09:00.000-06:00

Oooooohhhh...........THAT Lane.

2006-09-16T19:56:00.000-06:00

Here are a few pictures from the aftermath of Lane that we have seen, thus far. We were lucky, just a little leakage in the casa, not much. We are hearing of some rather bad flooding on other parts of the city, though. We wish everyone the best of luck for tonight!

Lane??.....Lane who??

2006-09-16T10:25:00.000-06:00

Lane really changed his mind. He was planning on being a low category 2 at the most and was making a visit to the Baja. Nope, 36 hours after that prediction, he is here in Mazatlan........as a high category 3. It is about 10:30 local time and the eye is supposed to make landfall around 12 noon. It is now projected to land somewhere between us and a place 50 miles north of here. We'll see what happens! So far, we have had high winds and LOTS of rain. We drove around about an hour ago. Large number of trees down, signs,debris, etc. Camaron Sabalo was flooded, but not too terribly bad yet. I took a few pictures of the ocean from the Malecon in front of Valentino's. The photos do not really do the waves justice, they are impressive! It was pouring rain and the visibility was low, so the pictures are not very good. After the storm passes, if possible, I'll mosey around and get some more.

Mazatlan Cathedral Pictures

2006-09-15T10:03:00.000-06:00

Hurricane John

2006-09-02T09:05:00.000-06:00

John came and went with minimal effects here. It started with heavy winds and a torrential downpour about 9:30 pm Thursday (Aug. 31). That lasted about an hour and the streets and canals flooded extremely quickly. We were at the Purple Onion when it started and 15 minutes into it, decided to head home. Good thing we did, because even then, we ran into water above the wheel wells of the truck in several places. After a couple of minor detours, the USS Ford got us home. Luckily, that seems to have been the worst of it. We are still having bands of rain, albeit nothing major, even through this morning. Suprisingly enough though, we never lost electricity. In my limited experience thus far in Mazatlan I had come up with this calculation ; 30 minutes of thunderstorm activity is equal to 4 hours of power outage. Not so this time around!

I went out yesterday and took some pictures from the Malecon of the waves. They were not large, but very rough!

Mazatlan Pics

2006-07-20T14:31:00.000-06:00

Mazatlan Pictures

2006-07-20T14:07:00.000-06:00

More Copala Pics.

2006-07-20T13:58:00.000-06:00

Tiny Little Copala!

2006-07-20T12:32:00.000-06:00

We made a little side trip this week; hit the highway towards the Sierra Madres and an hour later we landed in Copala. It is a little mining village tucked deeply into the mountains. Meandering cobblestone streets take you past red tile roof houses and lead you to the town square. There is a bandstand in the middle of the square and it is dominated by the beautiful San Jose Church. There are three resturants in town and also a shop on the square that sells all sorts of arts and crafts. We went without a guide, so I have pieced together what history I could from our visit and what I could find on the internet.
Local Indians worked these mineral-laden grounds to pay religious tributes to priests from their Lake Texcoco capital, Tenochtitlan. First it was the Mayans, then it was the Aztecs. The town itself was founded in 1565 by conquistador, Fransisco Ibarra, in the hopes that he would find the legendary "Copala Lagoon", a large gold vein. He died there 10 years later at the age of 36. In time, Catholicism entwined with the native religion and lifestyles . Iglesia San Jose was constructed between 1748 and 1775. It is considered one of the oldest and most beautiful village churches in Mexico, and one of the few remaining examples of baroque style architecture. The mines were closed in later years , but have been since reopened. The resturants there, Daniels, Copala Butter Co., and Chalvas are all very good. The town is also known for it's delicious banana coconut creme pies. It is worth the drive just for that! A little side note, inside of Daniels Resturant, for 5 pesos you can actually tour the mines. There are lots of interesting photographs in there as well, AND the scissors that cut the umblilical cord of Pancho Villa, himself!

...."In the little mining town of Copala, Sinaloa, in a chamber in one of the old mines, a number of antique tools were found...The type is quite different to any now in use... That the tools were of Spanish origin may be supposed, but the Spaniards could hardly have commenced mining in remote western districts immediately on their occupation of the country from the Gulf side, nor for many years afterwards, if they did so at all. The chamber had evidently been filled with water at some time, and had dried out, as the encrustation on the tools indicated a long period of submersion. And again the implements may prove the Asian origin of the west coast population, and the importation of their arts from the Transpacific continent, in which case the instruments may possibly come from China or Japan, or the Malayan Archipelago, like so many of the customs and tribal languages of the Western Mexican Indians." - Hans von Michaelis

Run for the border!

2006-07-17T09:36:00.000-06:00

"On the road"

Well....here we are living in Mazatlan. Have you ever just woke up one morning and think "How in the hell did I end up here?". Not that I am complaining...at all. It was a sudden, unplanned move, but I think a great one. My husband David, was offered a job at Estrella Del Mar, so we sold everything but our dog and clothes and headed south. (www.estrelladelmar.com - if you have any questions you can email David directly; dpool@estrelladelmar.com)

Chili trying to de-stress after the move. Not real sure how she is doing......she may require therapy.