Day 22

Hola Family and Friends from Mazatlán



Family Breakfast

 

Family At The Table Next To Us



We awoke to the pitter patter sound of rain gently falling on our RV’s.  What a wonderful way to start the day! And boy do they need the rain down here.   We couldn’t sleep in thou because we were to be picked up at 8:00am by our guide, affectionately known as “Chilly Willy”. He is a big giant teddy bear and speaks perfect English. Our ride was a new Mercedes mini bus. Nothings too good for our Adventure Caravan group!! Anyway, we started the day with a fabulous Mexican breakfast in the Riviera District at the Hotel Royal Villas with a great view of the ocean.  

Followed by a bus tour of Mazatlan City. The City was alive with activity, people hustling and  

Spring In Winter

bustling about. In the downtown area we drove by the flower market district where we saw beautiful flower arranging going on. They have a different style of arranging then in the US, very unique. In some of the arrangements they used mums and carnations to make little poodles that were so adorable. Such imagination!   

Mazatlán's famed shrimp is hauled in from the sea every morning and served up citywide. There were fresh shrimp and lobster stands under colorful umbrellas on the street corners with the fisherman’s women peeling shrimp so fast 

Can You Find Bigger Shrimp?

 you couldn’t believe it, of course they have had many years of experience. The shrimp ranged in size from about an inch to an unbelievable ten inches! A woman told me that Mazatlán has the biggest shrimping fleet in the world. I don’t know if it’s true or not but she was very proud of the fact. Later in the day we stopped back by so some of us could buy shrimp. Our leaders had brought a cooler!!

The authentic cobblestoned Old Town was ablaze with color. Bright purple, orange, pink, red, yellow, and green homes lined very narrow streets. They were a sight to behold.



This Is How It's Done





 We stopped at the city market place where you can get just about anything you want. As we walked in the smell of fresh fish, meat, chicken and vegetables was a little overwhelming. It was very interesting though.  Alongside the fresh meat and produce were shops selling their wares. It also had lots of food stands ready to make you just about anything you want from smoothies to full meals.

A Beer For Mardi Gras

We have arrived in Mazatlan just in time for Los Fiestas de los Imperios (A carnival or Mardi Gras), that lasts for six days.  So the whole town is getting ready.  The kids are out of school, beer by the truck loads are being delivered in the plaza and the streets are being barricaded in preparation as the excitement builds.

Location Of  The Cliff Divers

 We saw Cliff Divers (two brothers) dive into 8’ of water from a height of 45’-50’. It was  amazing watching them time the waves as they waited to dive. The accuracy of their dives was incredible. Diving at just the right moment to hit the water as a wave crested as they entered the water. They show no fear whatsoever. Apparently there are only 12 families that have been cliff divers all of their lives and that it how they made their living. This skill has been passed on from generation to generation within these families.  

 

It's A Long Way To The Water

 



Would You Do This?

We visited the El Mirador restaurant on top of a hill were we could see the city glittering below, and beyond it the Pacific which beckons with peaceful days of deep-sea fishing or exhilarating surfing on white-crested waves.



Los Fiestas de los Imperios (A carnival or Mardi Gras)



To top of a glorious day we had a Mexican dinner at the Hotel Plaza Mazatlán which featured a show that was a glimpse of what is to come at the Mardi Gras parade. The performers, in their exuberant costumes were fantastic, until the show had to be cancelled due to the fact that a hugh thunder storm, with pouring down rain came in. The power went out for a while!! Very exciting!! As it was in an open air dining area, the performers were getting wet  
as well as some of the diners.  After the

Los Fiestas Mi Amigos

 rain subsided there was a Salsa band with its lively music. A few of us braved the wet dance floor but most were too tired to get up and dance!! Oh what a wonderful Day we had!



Life Is Good – Meeow

Eileen & Paul