Morning Commute

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!!