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.

Drive to Mazatlan

Friday a.m.
I’m a little slow here in catching up but wanted to share all those pictures of Yavaros life. So any way back to Wednesday when we left Huatabampito (won’t be able to write that word again for a while.)
We actually wanted to leave early but the fog came in again and was very thick. We finally hooked up at 9:30 – this is looking towards the other RVs parked there.

The road out of town. Still lots of fog – we were hoping it was just at the coast but it went quite a ways inland.

Luckily these cows stayed off the road as we didn’t see them until we were passing them. The joys of driving in Mexico.

Took us about an hour to drive the 30 miles from the beach to the main road Mexico 15D. We knew we were there when we saw the shoe store on the corner.

The first hundred or so miles the highway goes through several small towns. The towns now have vibradores to slow traffic down. I guess the big topes – speed bumps – didn’t do the job. Vibradores are small speed bumps that look like lines painted in the road. But if you don’t slow way way way down by the time you go over 15 to 20 of them spaced about six to ten feet apart you are vibrating all the way to your teeth fillings.

You never are sure until you are going over them if they are bumps or just painted lines.

Near Cuilacan there are miles and miles of tomato fields. Now the fields have porta potties sitting throughout them. Here are some tomatoes being picked.

We drove 360 miles from the beach to Mazatlan – mostly on Mexico 15D the Autopista- toll road. The first half wasn’t too expensive because the road was going through the towns. The other side of Cuilacan it became the Maxipista – maxi for more money! And the road was beautiful. Big divided highway with wonder of wonders big shoulders.

One of the toll booths. Cost us in US dollars 72 for the day for 300 miles on main road. Mostly the charges were the same as last year. At one we didn’t get charged for the car only Alfie. The booth entrance was so narrow I don’t think the girl could see the car.

A lot of this part of the highway was under construction too. Lots of sophisticated machinery being used.

But these guys are using shovels to throw the asphalt onto the road.

There are more and more and bigger gas stations along the way. Most have separate pump islands for diesel – makes it easier to fuel up. And they pump the fuel. Even have guys that wash your windshields. And more and more of the stations take credit cards now. Four years ago hardly any did.
Because we got such a late start we were concerned about reaching Mazatlan before dark – really don’t like to drive after dark in the motorhome here. We pulled into the Las Jaibas RV Park at 4:30. By the time we were settled in the sun was setting. We’ve stayed here the last four years so know everyone. We have a decent 30amps and are in the back part of the park kind of by ourselves – though another 5^th wheel came back here too. Glad we have the satellite as there is no park WiFi. The water here is city water and good to drink. We paid for a month but will probably split the time up. About US 15.50 a day. Except for one other rig from Indiana everyone is from Canada.
After we settled in we went out to dinner at Fat Fish. We went there a lot last year for their wonderful ribs. A complete meal for two – salad, bread, baked potato and a whole slab of ribs (two complete meals) 160 pesos – Less than 12 dollars US.

With our tummies full we drove out to the Historic District to say Hello to a friend then back to Alfie for a good nights sleep.

Yesterday we ran errands. First dropped off a couple of pairs of Bill’s jeans to have  them shortened. Then to the Historic District

where we parked in our favorite lot – it was full when we got there but the attendant waved us in and made room. While parked there Willie got a good bath. He was so dirty. Now he is shiny and pretty.
Then we went to the watchmaker and Bill got a new battery for his favorite watch. They are hard to find in the states. Then to the optometrist so he could order new prescription sunglasses to replace the ones taken out of Willie. We can pick them up today – bifocals – less than 40 dollars US.

From there to the central market where we got a nice wool blanket for the car (also a replacement.) 

Then over to Plaza Machado for to sit a while and sip sodas at Beach Burger and watch the people go by. The owner of the restaurant came out and gave us big hugs and said she was wondering when we would get here.

Also visited an artist friend of Bills and talked about leather.

While we were driving around a car pulled up next to us honking. It was our dear friend Angelica. She saw us drive by and caught up to us. So we visited with her later.

Kind of like coming home.
So now I am caught up to date.

Fishermen of Yavaros

Thursday a.m.
As I mentioned we are now in Mazatlan at Las Jaibas RV park. The park has 150 spaces and only about 20 of them are occupied. All but one and us are from Canada. Mostly people who were here last year too. More about that later. I want to finish up on Yavaros. If you click on the pictures they will enlarge
Yavaros is strictly a fishing village. Both big commercial fishing boats and little one to three man pangas. Some with engines some without. On one side of town are a lot of small boats – these guys are repairing their boat.

Yavaros, Mexico  repairing their boat

Selling the days catch. They stand under the palapas and clean and fillet the fish. People walk or dive up and buy what they want.

In town everything is available. Notice the TV dish on the roof. This pickup has a speaker to announce he is coming buy to sell his fresh produce. One of the housewives talking to him.

This is the harbor side. A couple of the ships that have been wrecked for a long time. The salvagers are trying to get some paperwork on them so they can cut them up and pull them out.

Some of the commercial boats at the dock – there are usually a lot more of them but we’ve seen a bunch of them out in the ocean fishing. They fish for shrimp and sardines. You can see the cannery in the back ground.

Out in their pangas. This is just beyond where the salvage operation is going on. Notice these guys at least have the orange rubber waders. They are catching fish right there. The pelicans are waiting for a hand out.

The man in green has his net in the water.

Pulling his net out. The white things are fish – Mojarras – don’t know what it is in English. And they eat them.

He is fishing from the dock. He motioned to me to take his picture if I wanted to. If I wanted to? Of course I wanted to. The net has weights on the bottom. He has gathered it up ready to throw it.

There it goes.

A short video of him throwing the net.

Pulling it back in.

Taking it to the catch bucket. It's an empty paint bucket.

Part of the catch still in the net.

Looking into the bucket. Fish and shrimp in there. The big fish is a Lisa – all the restaurants serve it.

Look at the size of the shrimp.

And this little octopus got caught too.

A fisherman out by himself. His paddle is a straight stick with the lid from a large plastic bucked attached. He has a determined look on his face. Earlier we watched him bailing out the boat.

Two youngsters coming in with their catch.

They’re putting the shrimp in a liter plastic bottle with the bottom cut off. See them in his hand.

Another handful. He looks about 13.

When the bottle was full they put the rest in a plastic bag.

There was a big dirt area just behind us and during lunch time at the factory a bunch of guys came out and played a game of soccer. When the whistle blew they all went back to work.

As we were leaving to return to Alfie school got out. A number of kids (the driver included) stopped to buy freshly fried hot sugar coated churros. They are good!

Then back to the RV to get ready to leave in the morning.