Evening out in Mazatlan - first of many

Saturday - this morning the sun is behind a great big black cloud - might or might not rain today. It is warm out though..

Friday morning we went to WalMart to get a first aid kit and fire extinguishers for Willie. It is a big and modern WalMart with everything you need just like the states. One difference is in the parking lot. All the parking lots here have “parking attendants.” They are not paid by the businesses they are enterprising men, usually older, who work the lot. They have whistles – pitos - that they use to direct traffic. They find you parking spaces and stop on coming traffic to help you pull into and back out of them. In this particular lot they also put broken down cardboard boxes over your windshields to help keep your car cooler. They will also unload your cart and take care of it for you. Their only income is the tips they receive from the drivers.

Inside WalMart is pretty much what we get at home. This time of year there are aisles of Christmas decorations. The produce section and a deli case. For some reason you can get macaroni salad and coleslaw but never any potato salad.

We spent the midday at home then went out in the evening to the “1^st Friday Art Walk” in the Centro Historico. We parked in a lot near the area. This is some of the graffiti on the walls inside the lot.

It was about 4:00 when we got started and the sky was cloudy, even had a few sprinkles of rain. Saw this on a wall – it is about five inches tall.

Looking down one of the street. Love the colors and the shaped trees. Every year more and more of the buildings have been restored.

This iron work awning is on a second floor window. If you look around there is beauty everywhere.

As we were passing a big closed up building we could hear music coming from inside. It used to be one of the most important Sports Clubs in Mazatlan. The building itself housed the military and a single family at one time.

As we were reading the sign the door opened and a workman came out. He saw us looking in and asked if we wanted to go inside. Are you kidding me? Of course. So shy Bill started asking him what was going on. The entire building is being restored and is supposed to be done and open for business by Dec. 16^th – hummm not so sure about that. The main courtyard wall as you enter the building. There is a fountain in the middle of it. A worker helping clean up. Notice the arched doors with the iron work decoration.

Looking back towards the street side

One of the walls to the right as we entered the building. Through the doors will be a bar and restaurant. There are rooms all around the courtyard.

To the left as we enter- an old canoe mounted on the wall. The room behind it is a trophy room. The glass cases are full of trophies.

Scraping all the old paint off.

Through the arched doors was a huge room. It is a big gym. Lines on floor are for basketball and tennis. Along the sides will be seating. Behind it is another bar.

The workman told us to be sure and come back when it is finished.

Walking down the street again I saw this piece of white wrought iron next to a line of colorful tile.

This is another building that is at least one half of a block big. It is for sale. Looking in through one of the exterior windows to the rooms inside. There is no roof on it anymore.

As I said we were on an art walk. This is one of the studios we went into. Lots of different rooms and an outdoor area.

One of the interesting things there. Don’t they look happy. The scarf next to them is hand embroidered.

Just a colorful building. The sun popped out from behind the clouds and lit it up like a torch. A lot of the homes in this area are being restored. They can change the inside but have to leave the outside exactly as it originally looked. The trash is out for pickup – it is picked up every night.

Another art gallery – the walls and rooms are beautiful. Never did figure out why the cowboys and bar girls. But they were cute. Saw them later in the Plaza too.

Another building. By now it was dark out.

And before anyone asks – Yes we feel perfectly safe walking around at night. There are families out, young girls out and old women walking around. When ever you meet someone they always speak to you.
Just a light on someone’s house. Thought it was pretty.

We stopped in the Plaza Machado and ate dinner. Italian Chicken Salad. Lots of music going on there – from entertainment set up at the restaurants and from the music school at one end of the square. Lots of vendors set up selling their handicrafts.

A very nice evening in a very nice town.
And yes we did buy something from one of the artists. A small very colorful photo on canvas of some of the colorful homes in Mazatlan. Looks like the sun is trying to come out. Nothing planned for today as yet.