MAZATLAN

Monday, Helen and I took another trip to Mazatlan and this time we got it right. A few weeks ago we took an unplanned trip down and arrived right in the middle of Revolution Weekend. It was a mess for me as the traffic was terrible and the stress level was very high. We did some quick shopping and went home. On our second trip we did a little better, but not by much. It was very stressful for me and I didn't enjoy the trip. At the MEGA store, I had to sit down and rest for a while with a cup of cappuccino frio. It was delicious and I was feeling better in a short time.

By Monday we knew our way around a bit. I was able to find Route 15 going through the city. It's the route we'll take when we leave here on the 18th. Our first stop was Wal-Mart because the first item of business was to purchase a new printer. I looked at all the models and converted all the prices from pesos to dollars and after considerable thought, I bout an Epson, which was the cheapest one they had. I've had Epsons before and have always been happy. We also got some non-perishables before we drove to Old Town. As we drove along the Malecon, the walk along the beach, we could see the high tower hill in the distance and decided that we would try to drive there and get some good pictures of the city. It was not as easy as it looked and I took more than a wrong turns before we got to the top, or as close to the top as we could.

Here are a few pictures of Mazatlan

After taking the pictures we ventured down to Old Town and I found a parking space not far from the Cathedral. Helen and I had a little disagreement about where the market was. I have a knack for knowing directions, but this time shopping was involved and Helen was correct. Below are few pictures inside the market.

We bought our Mazatlan Tee shirts and headed for a pastry shop that we had heard about and also Helen spied it as we were driving by. After buying too many pastries (one would have been too many) we headed back to the car, but not before stopping to buy some Christmas lights for the camper. There are a lot of people around Old Town and so many people are trying to earn a living. We never felt unsafe, even for a moment. Shopping in Tampa or Orlando is more of a hassle for us. Not speaking Spanish could be a real problem, but the Mexican people are so eager to please, and not just when money is involved. If you are looking for something someone will often go with you to show you the way'

The last stop was MEGA, a small scale Wal-Mart, but with the Anglo in mind. Signs are printed in Spanish and English. Several employees speak English well enough to be a real help. They have products that you can't get elsewhere, even at Wal-Mart, like real Cheddar cheese, Swiss cheese, Virginia baked ham, and more. Surprising to me was the display of fresh Christmas Trees. We may be well into Mexico, but the smell of spruce, pine, and balsam bring memories of Christmas in New England. The trees were selling for about $27.00 USD, and that's not too bad.

We bought another cooler to transport our milk, lunch meat, and fish home. Helen bought a few nice fillets of white fish. I couldn't pass up the chance at some fresh shrimp. We packed up and headed home. We were too tired to prepare a real supper, so we picked on goodies and turned in early. It was another very fine day.