Mazatlan

After spending 2 days on 'primitive' roads into and out of the Copper Canyon, then a long journey down from El Fuerte, plus the problems with the cooling system and getting it repaired we were ready for an extra day of rest in Mazatlán!  Plus, we'd get to spend New Years Eve in this beachfront setting.

We arrived in Mazatlán about mid-afternoon, which is not the best time to be navigating the coast road looking for a hotel.  The first section we peeled off into turned out to be the owner-occupied or leased condo area, and another American directed us to the hotels across the bay.  There we encountered gridlock traffic.  We were looking for a specific street and hotel, but seeing that traffic was barely moving, we settled on the beachfront strip Best Western Posada Freeman Zona Dorada.  As we were pulling into the front parking lot and registering (apparently we got the last available room) a wedding party was just pulling in with the bride and groom, all the participants were milling about in the reception area.  All the Mexican men were all coiffed and primped, including, unless I'm mistaken manicured.  I'm sure that the two bridesmaids at reception looked at us, in our dirty gear, coming off our bikes after days of hard riding and thought: "Now there are two real men!"


Reception told us we were lucky to get a room and apparently got the last room available.  For good reason it was the last room available, because the shower wouldn't drain, as Curtis soon discovered.  A maintenance man had to come up and Drain-O, snake, and I hope for his sake not siphon, Curtis' shower water.  For the next 2 days the water drained slowly, almost imperceptibly.


After getting cleaned up we went out on the 'strip' in search of our first decent meal in 2 days.  We walked up, and down, up and down, and finally settled on Gus y Gus across the road near our hotel.  No sooner had we sat down than the 'house' band cranked up.  This band has truly reached the culmination of its career as a cover band in Mazatlán.  Curtis threatened to jam his straw into the singer's eye if they launched into a cover of "Free Bird," so luckily for them they started up with a cover of John Waite's "Missing You."  Here's a video of Curtis and a grandma enjoying "Missing You."

The next day was scheduled for R&R and exploration of old town Mazatlán, but first we had to get some pictures before the Sea of Cortez:

Needless to say but neither of us packed for the beach. But it sure was nice:

Therefore, we were off to old Mazatlán.

We initially tried the bus system but missed the bus for the Centro, so instead took a cab. The cabbie took us down the coast road and past the many statues the line the road. One statue in particular he pointed out, the Statute of Life, stood for all that every couple needs to know about getting along in the world:

It is a couple on a huge seashell overlooking a school of dolphins -- is meant to represent life's continuity in harmony with nature. The man, who points to an infinite horizon, offers the future to the woman, a future where they will search for happiness together. The cabbie summed it up as: "The man is pointing out the world in front of them and leading the woman through life -- it is the natural order of things." So we learned all we needed to know about human relationships through this statue and the instruction of our wise cab driver!

He dropped us off into one of the many public squares in Mazatlán:

Another surprising circumstance of our trip is that it coincided with the country's year long celebration of independence from the Spanish which began in 1810 and lasted another 11 years. This is just one monument in Mazatlán commemorating the occasion:

Eventually we made our way to the main public square and Mazatlán's central cathedral:

Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception circa 1875 

We then wound our way, with some local assistance, to the main public market:

Street view of the Public Market

Inside the Public Market

Where you can get many things necessary to every day living, including:

Fresh cheeses

Of course, fresh meats

And being a seaside community, fresh fish

And more fresh meats

And more fresh fish (the guy in the background is filleting a Red Snapper)

Cow feet

And pig heads

After getting our fill of the local dietary choices we headed to a famous restored theater, the Theatro Angela Peralta (the Angela Peralta Theater):

Photos before restoration

This is one of the few 19th Century theaters still in operation in northwestern Mexico. It was built and named for businessman Manuel Rubio and its grand opening took place in February 1874. For more than a century it has housed opera and theater, a circus, boxing arena, cantina and cinema, but was eventually closed down for 30 years. In the early 1940's, the theater was renamed in honor of "The Mexican Nightingale," Angela Peralta, an internationally-known, homegrown diva who died of yellow fever shortly before her scheduled Mazatlán performance in 1882.

On making our way back to the coast road to get some shots of the other statues, we saw this apropos Melville quote:

But also got some shots of the serene streets in old Mazatlán:

But back to the malecon and the statues.  One that I found particularly interesting is that of The Siren:

La Sirena sits on the rocks near where the cliff divers (clavadistas) launch themselves into the sea.  The cupid next to her seems to be ready to strike the diver or lover she is searching or waiting for.


Also saw this statue to Jose Angel Espinoza Aragon also known as "Ferrusquilla."

We though Alex Fardon would be able to give us some information or insight into Ferrusquilla, but apparently he is known for his film acting and songwriting, not necessarily for his classical guitar.


However, there is the statue celebrating Mazatlán Women:

"La Mujer Mazatleca" is for the women of Mazatlán, who are said to be among the most beautiful women in the world.  I'm sorry to say that I cannot concur, as they cannot hold a candle to my beautiful wife.


One last shot before heading back and hunkering down for New Year's Eve: