Mazatlan 2007

Monday, February 5 (Pat)

Today we planned to stick around Playa Maria after a trip to Amigos de los Animales (the local animal shelter) to deliver some blankets and cat treats. We started out with our usual morning routine. Another beautiful blue sky day. It is getting warmer now so we keep the sliding doors open with the screen closed to keep it cool and fresh. Unfortunately the morning sounds start early – 5am with increased traffic noise, mourning doves and other birds. Then the workers next door arrive and it is more challenging to sleep in! Ron got directions to the Amigos de los Animales from Angel downstairs. We head out about 11am to catch the Torreo bus. The directions/map are very accurate and we find the place easily. And they are closed for the day! Some holiday today in Mexico. There is a little calico long-haired kitty hanging out on the sidewalk in front of the building so we pet her and give her some of the treats. There aren’t any responses to Ron’s doorbell ringing and no other entrances so we leave the blankets and treats in the bed of the Amigos de los Animales pickup parked in front and head off.

We look up and there is Olivia, Angel, and another person from Playa Maria. We say we’re off to Gigante and they say it’s just a short walk down and over to the right. We get some water at the super market there on the corner and head off to buy some groceries. We walked through a residential area with some nice homes. All built side by side, with different colors, styles, and wrought iron gate designs. Some had very nicely created garden areas, others just had a carport area in the front space. Pretty soon we were at Gigante. It is like a Super Wal-Mart with everything there – furniture, hardware, clothes, and food. We just needed coke, beer, sugar, and coffee; however, Ron was hungry so we stopped at the deli. They have various pans of cooked foods, roast chicken, salads, flan, etc. with plastic containers out so you can serve yourself. Then you place them on the counter top and the lady puts a lid on, weighs them, and puts on the price sticker. Ron picked out several dishes for lunch and I got a piece of flan. Then we went to the bakery area, called a panderia. Shelves of scrumptious looking breads, croissants, pastries, muffins, Mexican scones (piedras), cakes, etc. You get a tray and tongs from the counter area then pick what you want. Go stand in line with the tray and they will bag or box your treats and put on a price sticker. Ron picked out several yummy looking pastries and I chose a thick veggie or banana-nut type bread slice and a piedra. Ron found his Jose Cuervo Tradicional Tequila (a 950ml bottle and a 375ml bottle together on one box) for 217 pesos. Found the coke, coffee, and sugar (Sweet & Low) and headed for the cash register. Six hundred and thirty-seven pesos! So much for just coke, coffee, beer, and sugar. We were starving by now so we moved into the shade away from the store entrance and drank our frappacinos and ate some of our goodies to tide us over until we got back to Playa Maria. Since we had several bags – some heavy – we opted for a taxi. The first one wanted to charge eighty pesos. We felt that was too much and got our bags back from the driver, saying that was too much, we’d take the bus. Another taxi driver down the line said he’d take us for sixty pesos. Okay! So we loaded up in his pulmonia with a shelf area behind the back seat to place the groceries, and headed off. The driver spoke good English so we chatted. Ron found out he had some kids so when we got to our resort Ron went up to the suite to get some of the kid’s toys he had brought and gave them to the driver while I paid him the fare plus tip. So he made out pretty good!

We were full now so we changed into our swim suits and sat by the pool. I took a dip, we chatted some of the other guests, and read our books. Very relaxing – not too hot, beautiful setting, blue ocean, golden sand – aaahhh! Ron saw Fernando next door and found out he only works until 4pm at the restaurant. It was almost 4:00 by then so set up a date to have lunch there on Tuesday. After 5:00 I finished my ‘Cat Who…’ book and we decided to go for a walk up the beach. We walked past Sea Garden resort and then turned around. We watched another clear-sky sunset and walked back to Playa Maria enjoying the color changes as dusk set in. Shower time, change clothes and by 8pm we were off to dinner at La Costa Merinera, another favorite. It is another nice evening so we eat on the outside portion next to the beach to enjoy the view. We had drink coupons so started out with a free margarita for Ron and a free strawberry daiquiri for me. Our waiter wasn’t quite up to the service level we are used to at La Costa Merinera but the food was good. Ron had Beef Chilichi and I had stuffed shrimp. Another round of drinks. We enjoyed watching some kids doing cartwheels on the beach to burn off energy. When we were finished a beach vendor come by with some black wood carved sculptures. They were very creative, graceful, stylized designs. One was a man, woman, and child. Another was a more detailed man and woman entwined. A third was a stylized face of a woman and man together in a circle. The vendor said he had come all the way from Oaxaca, a thirty-six hour bus ride, in order to sell the sculptures that his family made. We looked at them for a while – they were really different and artistic. Not really our style but I felt like I wanted to purchase one. He was asking three hundred and fifty pesos. I tried to bargain with him but he didn’t come down in price. Then I had the idea of buying the man, woman, and child sculpture to give to Rob and Christine as a wedding gift. So the deal was done and Pablo wrapped up our sculpture. The figures were roundish, with the man figure taller, standing behind the woman who was standing behind the little child. Graceful curves and simplistic figures made for a very nice effect. Down the street the vendors were closing their shops, it was after 10pm. Ron got a postcard and some sun glasses since his others were broken. We crossed the street at Pueblo Bonito and waited for a bus. It seemed none were coming by. Several taxis came by offering reduced fares. Another ten minutes or so and no bus so we took the next offer for a thirty peso ride back to the resort. The driver of course wanted to set us up on another timeshare deal. I couldn’t hear him very well while he was telling Ron about the deal. I’m done with spending our time listening to new resort ideas so I walked off, playing the nay-sayer Ron makes me out to be. Back to the room, wind down for a while so we are not going to bed with stuffed bellies, and then off to bed at 11:30pm.