Semana Santa- Mazatlan 2012

It is Easter Week in Mexico- known as Semana Santa. All schools and universities in Mexico take this week as their Spring Break and everyone heads to the beach! It is not just students, but the entire family.

Fun group from Torreon.

Traffic is beyond horrible- what would normally take 5 minutes to drive becomes 2 hours. Convience stores and ATM's are constantly depleted. The best way to deal, is to stock up on grocieries and whatever money you may need early in the week. Then you park your vehicle for a few days, walk around and join in the party!

Eye candy for everyone's taste!

Beaches are packed beyond belief!

Musicians come from all over Mexico to play for the vacationers.

Friday Night Sunset

New beginnings

Sunset from Diego's Beach Bar- Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico.

I have decided to resurrect the blog. There have been many changes over the last couple of years. David and Chili are no longer in the picture--I have been here in Mazatlan alone about 3 years now. Up until last summer, I was working on a charter schooner as a deck hand and crewed on boat deliveries up and down the coast. The schooner is no longer chartering so I am now making a living mainly by real estate, but also by some writing and photography. It is not easy to make money here as a gringa, but I still love my life. Moving back to the states has crossed my mind on occasion, but the thought almost always brings me to tears, which tells me my time here is not over. My life is much simpler here, and I am not near the consumer as I was in the US and I like those facts. I find the Mexican people warm, kind and generous and I am shown unprompted acts of kindness for no reason, on a regular basis. I eat healthier-- very rarely does anything canned or frozen appear on my plate. And the weather--- fabulous.

The last couple years have been hard on Mazatlan and Mexico. Between the swine flu and the narco violence, the US and Canadian press have had a field day. The swine flu was never an issue and the narco violence is very funneled, but you would never think that from reading or watching the news. I travel all over this city everyday, and have all over the country as well, usually by myself....sometimes driving, other times by bus and walking. NEVER have I had even an uncomfortable moment as far as my personal safety goes. Fact is, the press has affected tourism and that is a major reason for me bringing the blog back. I want to share my stories and photos of this amazing place and the people that live here. I'll even dig into the past couple of years. Mexico and Mazatlan deserve so much more than what they have been getting and I am tired of the irresponsible and sometimes flat out incorrect reporting the NOB press has been putting out. I suppose it is a little arrogant to think I can make a diffrence, but If I can, even with one person.....

David, Oscar and I!

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

Old Pics

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

Future Events

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!!

No se.

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

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!)

Los Monumentos

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!

Amigos

This picture just makes me giggle.

Christmas Trees and the Legend of the Poinsettia

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??

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

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

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.

Mucho Lucha Libre

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.