Aventuras de Nuestra Vida en Mazatlán

Wednesday Hump Day

2012-02-01T22:08:00.002-07:00

Mid-week. Wednesday. "Hump day." We decided we needed to get out, see a bit of the "interior" of our beloved Mazatlán that we hadn't seen in a while. Not like we don't often do that, but, hey, it's Wednesday and we've been working hard ...

We ended up driving toward Infiernillo. We were so very psyched to spend time noticing just how clean everything looks, we suppose after it was cleaned up from the flooding last year. Danny's Scout troop has gone out there many times cleaning up. But this was obviously a clean-up of larger, more mechanistic proportions. Well done, city!

We stopped at a little mariscos and taquería that Greg had noticed yesterday, when he was refilling the gas for the grill. It is called El Pariente, and it did not disappoint.

The owner was very gregarious, and worked busily on the outdoor grill. His wife worked the indoor kitchen.

Despite the pull of the ceviche de jaiba and other cold dishes, we all ordered shrimp: camarones rancheros and

camarones a la diabla. Both were really tasty, portions were huge (we couldn't finish), and

prices were definitely right: 80 pesos per plate.

Plus, the view was very pleasant!

After lunch we drove around the other side of the estero, past the fishing pangas,

the waterfowl,

the recycling truck,

the gas delivery truck,

the roof dog protecting a roof-top camper shell (?),

and a hand painted and festively decorated mural of the Virgen.

All in all, a most welcome mid-week respite to recharge our batteries and ground ourselves in the reality and security of our beloved city before we headed back to work.

Wonderful New Restaurant and BB in Cerritos

2012-01-27T22:40:00.001-07:00

We made a terrific new discovery today, out of the blue. A wonderful little restaurant right on the beach with a laid-back style and ... drumroll please ... a very creative menu: Jamaican jerk beef, sun dried tomato quiche, shiitake mushroom and vegetable spring rolls with mango-habanero salsa ... How unusual is THAT for Mazatlán?

As if creativity weren't enough (you know you can recite the ceviche/aguachile/pescado o camarones a la diabla, mojo de ajo o a la plancha of 90% of our local restaurants), items are made fresh, the menu changes weekly, and it includes lots of fresh veggies, salads and homemade soups. The owner loves music, so she chooses a musician of the week (this week is most rightly dedicated to recently departed Etta James) and tailors her weekly menu to the theme. As I said, creativity reigns in this place.

The restaurant, called "Surf's Up," is owned and operated by a vivacious young Canadian woman named Leanne Wright (that's her at left, between my two boys). She relocated here from Vancouver a year ago, and together with her parents has spent the past year readying the cafe and an adjoining four-room bed and breakfast called "El Sol La Vida" for business. The "resort" opened nine weeks ago, and is located right next to Pueblo Bonito Emerald Bay (Camino al Delfín #520) in Sabalo Cerritos. It is definitely worth the drive!

The inviting interior with open kitchen seats maybe 20-24 people, and there are outdoor terrace tables as well as numerous tables on the beach. The view is spectacular, the setting very peaceful and yet vibrant. Surf's Up is open Wednesday through Saturday 8 am - 4 pm, and any evening for dinner with a prior reservation (669-164-1896). They also serve a Sunday brunch from 10 - 4. In addition to the substantial meal menu, there is a full coffee menu (lattes, cappuccinos, frappes).

Leanne (that's her at left, between my two boys) told us she's worked in food service for 14 years, and loves to travel the world taking cooking lessons with top chefs (this summer she'll be in Tuscany). She buys breads from Héctor at Molika and produce from the new Organic Farmers' Market in Plaza Zaragoza. Turns out that in addition to being an outgoing and upbeat cook with a keen sense of design (the whole place is really charming), she's a highly ranked amateur boxer who will travel with the Canadian team to this summer's London Olympics (she won't be boxing, though, due to injuries from a car crash). And, no, she hasn't yet made it to la cancha German Evers to see one of our local boxing matches.

There were three of us for lunch today, and we had the above-mentioned spring rolls served with a terrific side salad (spring mix lettuce with sweet onion, four colors of bell peppers, craisins, almonds and cheese);

a very tasty chicken tostada (the sweet onions made it);

and roast beef on ciabatta with potato slices, two kinds of cheese, grilled onions, and mustard seeds. This last was listed on the menu as a breakfast item. The breakfast menu is lengthy and also creative, and is served all day.

For dessert we split a homemade oatmeal cookie with coconut, raisins and almonds. Leanne was just taking these out of the oven as we entered, and the smell was to-die-for. She also had slices of apple coconut cake available.

We all very much enjoyed our meals. Each of them was solidly good tasting,beautifully presented, and a welcome breath of fresh air in an exceptionalsetting. Keeping in mind this restaurant is only nine weeks young, it is ourhope that as Leanne settles in and gets more comfortable, the flavor of herrecipes will rise to the high level set by the creativity of her menu.

Menu items (most accompanied by soup or salad) ranged from 80 - 100 pesos,which we felt was very reasonable, though for some reason the hamburger ispriced at a very high 150 pesos. Yes, it's Henderson's sirloin, but ... My fearis that as Surf's Up gets popular the extensive menu may have to be trimmed,and Leanne will obviously have to hire and train some more staff, which seems so often to make for difficulties with a new place. Changing menus each week canplace added stress on a kitchen staff as well and quality may suffer; we will have tocheck back and see.

After lunch we toured the four rooms and common area of the bed and breakfast, El Sol La Vida. The rooms were large and airy. The wood carpentry has been beautifully done. All rooms except one had a terrace or patio.

Bathrooms have onyx sinks and marble tile work. Shower enclosures are glass block. Rooms are $129 Canadian per night, and the one without a terrace is $99/night.

Leanne's parents were owner-operators of a garden center for years and it shows with wonderful landscaping and floral treats throughout the property.

The pool is heated and well positioned. There is a poolside bar, and some incredibly comfortable-looking seating, plus easy access to the beach.

I wish Leanne and her parents all the best of luck! I do hope this place gains popularity in a way that will allow them to succeed; it has a terrific energy about it.

Welcome to Mazatlán, and thank you for being here!

One other small note:
As we drove in, we noticed a very interesting property next door. Danny said it reminded him of the Lord of the Rings. Sure enough, Leanne told us that the guy who built it had the book series in mind, and the 5-bedroom uniquely built place is now a rental property, called Sand Castle. Like elves? Check it out!

Cultural Change on the Malecón: A Case Study

2012-01-25T09:07:00.000-07:00

Ok, the title of this post sounds a little too "professional" for our family blog. But it's about dear friends, Mexican society and our beloved malecón, so I think it belongs here. It is really the story of the power of one.

Our dear friend, Guy, retired from a career as an air traffic controller in Canada and relocated to Mazatlán about five years ago. He loves the "blue:" the ocean, the sky, the outdoors, the views. He is a passionate athlete. He started out running the malecón many times a day, and has evolved to roller blading it. He is a French speaker who also speaks English, and he has actively sought to learn Spanish since living here. Guy is very outgoing, optimistic and friendly. He loves coffee, and makes a great pot of cappuccino every morning, sharing it with those friends lucky enough to be nearby when it's ready. Guy has become a city icon. Everyone knows the bald guy dressed in black who can be seen skating along the oceanside promenade nearly any time, day or night. To see him is to be reminded to enjoy this beautiful city in which we live—not to get lost in work or daily drudgery, but to take a look around and a deep breath, and to get out and move our bodies before we lose the ability to move them.

We also love walking and biking the malecón every day; it's one of the best things about Mazatlán. In our opinion it's the best oceanside promenade in the world, with 4+ miles of paved, gorgeous walkway between Valentino's and Pedro Infante. We imagine that everyone would enjoy using the malecón. Thus, we have been repeatedly surprised by friends, mostly locals, who tell us they prefer to exercise at home or in a gym. I've had girlfriends tell me their husbands won't "permit" them to use the malecón if they're not with them. Girlfriends tell me they don't use it because they don't want to be out in the sun; it causes wrinkles and spots on their fair skin. Others say the malecón is dangerous; that you're looking to get robbed.

And, honestly, I know very well that many people don't use it because it's beneath them. That is a side of society, any society, that I very much dislike. Beach vendors, people who can't afford gym memberships, people whose only mode of transport is a bicycle or public bus, even beggars and homeless people, use the malecón. "I have more money than them. I was born higher class than them. I need to maintain my status by not associating with them." No one in polite society says it directly, but it's there; it's palpable. And this is a side of any society that I'd love to change.

There are loads of Canadians and US Americans who come here and desire to make a mark on this gorgeous city, to help make our city better. They often wreak havoc on themselves and others despite their good intentions, because they come on like gangbusters and try to "change" or "fix" something they don't yet understand, something that is much larger than they are (a culture, a society). I know this well; I've seen it worldwide; it's my profession.

Guy didn't set out to change anything. By setting out to enjoy himself and stay in shape, he has inspired many people to get out and move: to bike, run, walk, rollerblade... People from all walks of life started coming to Guy, asking him to teach them to rollerblade, to help them get started, to give him advice. They told him they'd pay him for his lessons. "No," he'd say. "I'll teach you for free, but you must pay it forward and in turn do something helpful for somebody else." Thus his "entourage" was born, including a running group and a roller blading group, as well as, now, people who hang out at the coconut stand to share good conversation and homemade ceviche.

Guy has made a wide circle of friends from all different parts of society: government, big and small business, housewives and young singles, wealthy and humble. I am sooooo so so so happy to see the gatherings of people around him. It crosses socio-economic lines. There are people roller blading now who, personally, told me the malecón was no place for them! I have had friends who previously refused to use the malecón for the reasons above ask me if they could walk with us, bicycle with us. It's because, I believe, they see these other people, "society" people, out there, exercising. Not just with Guy, of course. Kelly and his bicycling tours and groups, other running, roller blading and bike groups.... The culture is shifting. I've seen a huge shift towards egalitarianism and inter-mixing of the social classes on the malecón in the four short years I've lived here. Bravo!!! Long live culture change! Let's keep it up! We aren't there yet, but... Just the other day a friend asked another friend, aghast, "You have the coco guy's phone number in your cellular?" Well, she did. And proudly so.

One last photo: this one of the malecón during Carnavál. Forbes Magazine ranks our Carnavál/Mardi Gras one of the world's top three. I will just add that it is VERY family-oriented. Come join us!

El Buki Show Last Night

2012-01-22T12:55:00.001-07:00

We were very pleased to be invited last night to the second annual taquiza party which takes over the street in front of our friends' Cathy and Bill's house. This year we celebrated Cathy's retirement. They must have had 100 friends show up, all locals. It is so wonderful to see how generous these two are to their friends, and how much their friends here care about them. One of them set up a disco móvil, the neighbors grilled carne asada, and the state police offered to shut down the street to make us more comfortable, so we were well taken care of.

After dinner, we were surprised to see a very familiar face: Marco Antonio Solis. No, not really. But he sure did look like El Buki! He is a friend of the mechanics next door, and he was more than happy to entertain us by singing karaoke to a few El Buki hits.

Above is a video of him singing. Unfortunately the photos and video are taken with a cell phone in the darkness outside, but you'll get the idea. This is what I love about living here. You think you're going to a low-key event where you'll get to dine outside under the stars, spend quality time with some very cool people, and you end up also being entertained by a rock star.

I had to get my photo taken with him; you never know when I'll have that chance again, lol!

Meseta de Cacaxtla Tour with Conanp - Los Llanitos

2012-01-19T21:37:00.001-07:00

Our third stop on Meseta de Cacaxtla today was Los Llanitos. (Links to blog post 1/Chicayota or blog post 2/Guillermo Prieto) By the time we got there we had already decided we had had a terrific day. And it only got better! What a gorgeous place this was, by far the most economically successful, and the people were so much fun!

What stood out for me right away were the stories of jaguar in the area. I do hope that some day I might get to see one!

Los Llanitos was so fancy, after our previous two stops, that it even had a little kiosk in the plaza in the center of town! Very charming.

Our hosts were all ready to serve us lunch. I fell in love with the setting. It reminded me of picnicking in a vineyard in Italy, with the bright colors and flowers.

Carlos' wife had taken some of the organic tomatoes, sliced them, and added goat cheese, fresh-picked basil, olive oil and a bit of low-sodium soy sauce. OMG! We were in HEAVEN!!!!! I think I ate about ten tomatoes they were so good!

While we were munching, Maximiliano, the grandfather, started regaling us with stories of the pre-Hispanic artifacts he has found while tending his fields in Los Llanitos. The area, according to him, is home to the game of ulama; this town is where it originated, they say. Max brought out a couple of pottery figurines that he passed around to show us.

The figures had clear faces: eyes, nose and mouth, arms and legs. They seemed to be wearing shirts or tunics. They reminded me of the Chinese burial dolls, which I've also seen in Japan, as well as among some of the Pueblo Indians of the US Southwest.

Most fascinating to me, however, were what I first thought to be "angel wings" on the back of the dolls. Upon closer scrutiny, they seem to be the hands of other dolls. It would appear these dolls were part of a set or group of dolls, with one doll hugging the next.

As if after our big breakfast and all the tomatoes we might still be hungry, our hosts in Los Llanitos brought out some of the best tamales I've ever had. Organic beef, tomato, chile, and squash, in a thin wrap of corn masa.

Followed by freshly harvested corn on the cob, which our pretty new friend proceeded to drench in fresh cream, cover with grated cheese, and serve up. Oh my!

But, no! That still wasn't enough. There were homemade jamoncillos.

And my personal favorite, freshly baked empanadas de calabaza, pumpkin turnovers, made by one of the daughters in the family.

My new friend Consuelo lives in Mazatlán with her daughters. They are all three estilistas, beauticians who do manicures, makeup and hair styling. We hope to see them here again soon. She also has a son who was there for the winter holiday, Marcos. He is graduating soon as a biologist, from university in Ensenada, and will return to Los Llanitos to contribute to the local community.

The kids were really cute, but what really stood out for Greg and I were that the boys were sharpening knives for use in cockfighting or palenque. It seems they often hold cockfights in the backyard. I've seen men who love this, and I know families attend. I just didn't realize that kids from such a young age raise chickens for fighting and get so excited about it.

After lunch we walked or drove over to the fields, passing some corrals along the way.

One of Consuelo's brothers, Gustavo, had a deerskin cell phone holder on his belt.

Gustavo, Greg, and his brother and daughter really hit it off well. They insisted we come back to visit soon, and we have every intention of doing so. This is obviously a very hard-working, wholesome Mazatlán community that we would love to get to know better.

The fields on one side of the road are organic. Gustavo told us the produce is mostly sold to Mexico City or exported abroad. They had many different kinds of vegetables here, scallions and corn. Acres and acres of green.

The fields on the other side of the road are "regular," non-organic. These fields seemed to go on forever. We were there just as the field workers finished loading 16 TONS of tomatoes into a trailer truck, bound for DF.

We had to leave earlier than the rest of the group, so we missed visiting the dairy and the "biodigestor" (compost system?). As we drove out, however, a group of field workers asked if I'd take their photo. Here it is, folks.

One young man in particular wishes to send a special hello to all the young ladies on Facebook ;)

I'll close with a beautiful shot that Greg took of some turkeys in the yard. It was a long and very wonderful day. Thank you, Martha, Gaby, and everyone else who helped make today happen. We are so happy to know you, and look forward to seeing you again soon and helping in any way we can to support you as you work to develop our area in environmentally respectful and sustainable ways.

Link to an article on our day's trip in the Noroeste.

Meseta de Cacaxtla Tour with Conanp - Comunidad Guillermo Prieto

2012-01-19T20:30:00.000-07:00

Second stop on our tour today was at the organic community orchards and gardens of Comunidad Guillermo Prieto, a couple of kilometers north of La Chicayota on the highway. My oh my do they have beautiful produce! (If you missed it, link to blog post on our first stop, La Chicayota)

Lush, delicious, fresh; all they lack is a market. They sadly told us that much of their first-year bumper crop of scrumptious organic tomatoes went unsold! We of course immediately told them about the new Mazatlán Farmers' Market/Mercado Orgánico de Mazatlán every Saturday morning in Plaza Zaragoza, Mazatlán. The cooperative's leader, Sra. Sacramento, promised they would be here this Saturday to start the application process, so that their organic produce might also be sold there on Saturdays.

Sra. Sacramento... a beautiful name, don't you think? That is her in the photo at left. When I told her she had a beautiful name, she said it's what she's been "saddled with" because when she was young her father moved north to tend fields in Sacramento, CA.

To Sacramento's left, in the red shirt in the photo, is Carlos Carballo, an engineer, teacher of organic farming, holistic cattle raising, and ....

Hydroponics. These farms are located in an area of town that is sort of "off the grid." The only source of water, other than private delivery by truck, is to have it piped in from Dimas, miles away. The water from Dimas is turned on once a day for two hours. To work around this shortage of water and be able to reuse some the precious water they do have, the community has turned to hydroponics.

Another difficulty facing the organic farms of Comunidad Guillermo Prieto is that they don't have a steady market for their product. Traditional planting aggravates this market problem because crops ripen at the same time and need to be harvested quickly. Hydroponics, as we were told, allow the plants to root indoors in a greenhouse, protected from the sun, and provide the farmer a bit more leeway with when to put the plants in soil. In this way, the cooperative farmers can choose when to transplant a hydroponically rooted strawberry or lettuce plant, and extend the harvest!

Comunidad Guillermo Prieto uses two kinds of hydroponic systems. The first, as you see above and at left, is a tube system. The engineering uses readily available items (see the rebar holding the piping on the wood support).

The second hydroponic system we saw here were floating gardens — plants rooting into the water through holes in styrofoam! It was really cool. Four times a day for 15 minutes each time, pumps are turned on to circulate and refresh the water.

We saw lots of kinds of lettuce, cilantro, and scallions growing in these floating gardens.

And here in the photo you can see how well the roots respond to the floating garden concept.

Because the community here doesn't yet have sufficient greenhouse space or netting, they are unable to vine-ripen their organic tomatoes. If they allow the tomatoes to ripen on the vine, the birds eat their crop. Thus, they harvest them while still green, and allow the tomatoes to ripen inside the netted greenhouse, safely out of the way of the hungry birds.

We saw a lot of different crops here, including peppers, camote (sweet potato), cherry tomatoes, and citrus fruits.

A bumblebee inside a camote flower.

And some camote, peeking up through the soil.

A nice healthy broccoli plant...

Many thanks to our hosts. We weren't able to spend a lot of time here. I would have loved to have toured the orchards and some of the other fields. As we left I was gifted with a huge bunch of basil and three gorgeously sweet grapefruit. I will be back, to buy some plants and produce, and to visit the terrific people we met. Thank you all!

(Link to third and final blog post from today's journey, Los Llanitos)

UPDATE:
I am really happy to report that yesterday, Jan. 28, Sacramento and her crew were at the Mercado Orgánico Mazatlán. Conanp had submitted all their paperwork, and will be buying them a tent to aid their display. Hooray! So very happy that this trip and this post had a positive outcome in that way. Sacramento was psyched because they quickly sold out of greens and were well on their way to selling out of other vegetables as well. So glad also that MOM/Mazatlán Farmers Market and Conanp are also now in touch.

Meseta de Cacaxtla Tour with Conanp - La Chicayota

2012-01-19T19:47:00.001-07:00

Today we had the very good fortune to meet some awesome people doing wonderful work to promote economic development, environmental sustainability, and ecotourism in La Meseta de Cacaxtla preserve.

We accompanied Gaby from CONANP (Federal Department of Natural Protected Areas) and Martha Armenta from CONREHABIT (Conservación y Rehabilitación de Fauna Silvestre) on a tour of several villages in this protected area: La Chicayota, Comunidad de Guillermo Prieto, and Los Llanitos. CONANP invested 1.5 million pesos last year (2011), with more requested for this year (2012). 100% of this money goes towards projects in the 50,000 hectare La Meseta de Cacaxtla preserve.

While the Meseta de Cacaxtla was named an ecologically and archeologically protected area in 2000—it is home to 26 species of amphibians, 59 species of reptiles, 79 species of mammals, and 340 kinds of birds, as well as to numerous pre-historic sites including Las Labradas—that status has had little meaning. No efforts were made to stop the hunting and poaching of protected animals, nor the looting of archeological sites, and the local communities continued, as they had for generations, to be generally poor and lacking in resources and infrastructure. Five years ago, however, CONANP began investing in the Meseta: ecotourism projects in Barras de Piaxtla, La Chicayota, and El Pozole, and productivity projects in Guillermo Prieto, Coyotitán, Los Llanitos, Toyua, and Mármol.

This first post will be about our first stop, La Chicayota. We have driven through this small town many times on our way to take visitors to Las Labradas, and once I know we stopped there hoping for some refreshment. CONANP federal funding is supporting quite a few plans for La Chicayota because it is the gateway to Las Labradas Petroglyphs, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. To reach it, you exit at Km. 51 on the maxipista just north of Mazatlán.

The first order of business should definitely be road improvements, as it's long been our complaint that entrance to this gorgeous area is quite the bouncy, dusty, pot-holed endeavor! While we didn't hear about any CONANP plans in this regard, we are still hoping federal or state tourism authorities or others are budgeting for this much-needed improvement.

The town is named after this tree, la chicayota. My dictionary tells me it is the same name in English, but I am not familiar with it.

The main street in town shows you how (un)developed La Chicayota is. The residents keep the area very well-tended, with many flowering trees and other plantings.

The community consists of 12-20 families. With CONANP funding they have built a community kitchen. It is a beautiful building using local materials, building techniques (sort of woven limbs) and builders.

Outside the community kitchen is a large earthen oven for cooking breads.

Inside the community kitchen is a wonderful wood-fired comal, great for cooking tortillas or almost anything else (cooking refried beans, below). You can tell from this cook's smile how friendly people were and how welcome they made us feel. They are so eager to learn how to cook, give tours of their local area, and in other ways help national and international visitors to the area.

The indoor wood-fired comal smartly vents to the outdoors, and I was fascinated with how beautiful the smoke looked against the woven wood, the cactus, and the roof tiles.

Beside the indoor kitchen is a very large community meeting space or party place.

In addition to the community kitchen, there is a smaller "guest" kitchen, with another wood-fired stove and sets of dishes. Behind these two kitchens and the meeting space are public restrooms. Right now they flush by dumping a bucket of water into the basin, but there are plans to install a septic system or dry toilets.

The community center area also has a nice playground for the kids: teeter totter, swings...

For breakfast this morning the ladies kindly served us freshly made tortillas de maiz with queso fresco (de vaca), fresh-picked basil, freshly made salsa and refried beans. They ROCKED! There is nothing like a tortilla cooked on a wood-fired comal with fresh cheese!

One of the terrific women I met here is named Nereida. She told me that the quesos or cheeses are made in a nearby town. Some are made from goat's milk, other's from cow's milk, and that they are made in several different styles. She gave me her cell phone number and invited me to call her anytime, as she'd be happy to take us on a queso-making tour. I can't wait!

Almost just as wonderful as the fresh tortillas con queso were the panes de mujer, served fresh from the oven and dripping with brown sugar glaze.

I noticed that these wonderful breads arrived from the house next door, so of course I wandered over there. In a spotlessly clean outdoor kitchen I met Silvia, mixing up some more bread dough.

She didn't measure anything--just eyeballed and dumped all the ingredients into a bowl, mixed with warm water, and set to baking more wood-fired-oven-baked panes de mujer. OMG they were good!

Above is a video of Silvia removing the breads from her wood-fired oven or hornillo. At the end of the clip you will also see José, one of the project's leaders.

To be honest, what really brought me over to the neighbor's house was noticing this: a temazcal or sweat lodge. Silvia told me all about how to fire it up and make it work. She said her grandchildren and her get in it every other night, and that it's terrific for fighting colds and maintaining good health. She said after sitting in the temazcal for a while, you feel that every impurity has been cleansed from your soul. Then, she also gave me a cell number, and said to call her anytime I wanted to take a sweat. You bet I will!

This is a fish-eye view of the inside of the temazcal. You can see that Silvia and her family made it with recycled materials. No Home Depot purchases for them!

Next to Silvia's kitchen and temazcal, on her front porch, is La Chicayota's video arcade. The kids seem to love it.

In Chicayota you can eat, take a boat tour, go fishing, mountain biking, or horseback riding. The best way to visit, at this point in time and if you are not very comfortable with Spanish or rural Mexican travel, could be to get on one of CONANP's tours.

Let me close this post with a video of Gaby telling us a bit of history about the Chicayota project. Martha is translating. Behind them, against the wall you can see José (far left) and Nereida (far right with glasses). To see the second post in this series, about our stop at Comunidad Guillermo Prieto's community orchards, click here.

Another Beautiful Mazatlan Sunday Bike Ride

2012-01-15T21:38:00.001-07:00

I ride my bike a lot in Mazatlan. It is a great town for bike riding, at least as far as I'm concerned. Some people are put off by the traffic (pedestrian and vehicular), but I think it adds to the excitement and challenge.

Most people do what I used to do and go up and down the malecon (or boardwalk) along the ocean. It is relatively flat, very scenic and overall very safe. However, it is not very challenging and if you are trying to get in some good cardio or burn a few extra calories, you either tow a bag of bricks behind you or seek a tougher ride.

I started seeking tougher rides nearly two years ago. I started going north to the far end of town, but that involved too much street time and too many crazy drivers. It was all flat other than the two bridges that are more of a workout due to the speeding traffic then the incline or distance. I also have experimented with riding downtown and do still enjoy it from time to time. It is best to go really early and realize that for a great workout, you will be going up and down the same small hills over and over.

Mazatlan has two big hills - both in the southern part of town, called Olas Altas. Mazatlan also has the second tallest natural lighthouse in the world. So, about six months ago, I decided to combine the challenge of an up and over a good sized hill with a climb to the top of the lighthouse for a good cardio workout.

If you do not know Mazatlan, you can't imagine what a wonderful ride this is. So today I packed along my camera and took a few pictures in an attempt to show at least some of what I like about this ride. As for the hill, well, I admit it doesn't look like much in these pictures, but it is a moderate challenge for me and of course is getting easier the more times I go. Try it and see.

Here is the malecon looking south from in front of our house:

Here you can see the curve of the bay and how flat most of the malecon is:

The curve and flatness continue as we go past the Fisherman's Monument:

Once we get past the fishing boats, there is a small incline, but not much of a challenge:

Are you digging the view as much as I am? Can you see why so many people choose to just stay on the malecon? At this point we are directly across from where we live and have gone around the bay. Our building is circled:

Now, there is another incline in the road to make for a little challenge:

After we round the corner and go past some vendors and the huge flagpole, we begin to see the hill to the right of the statue in the picture below and the lighthouse on the far right:

As we get a little closer, we can zoom in on the first part of the hill that we will need to climb. Today, Sunday, is the easiest day. During the week the school (blue and white building) at the elbow in the road is very busy. The turn is extremely tight and there are cars and kids everywhere. The hill is essentially three little hills in one. We will go straight up towards the school, turn left away from the ocean and then turn right and rise up above and behind the school, before eventually turning right and enjoying the downhill ride to the road to the lighthouse.

Here we are ascending the hill towards the school and a shot looking back from the school:

Next we turn left and parallel the school (hill 2):

From the next corner we pause to look behind us:

And in front of us (hill 3):

It's at this time that my heart isusually working the hardest. With an allowed maximum heart rate of 170, I amhappy to see that I have not overdone myself today:

If you look closely, you can see that we have onlybeen at this for 28 minutes. It's taking longer to type this than to ride it!

Looking back down hill 3:

And ahead to the downhill ride the awaiting lighthouse:

The approaching lighthouse and a look back at the fun downhill ride we just had:

The road to the lighthouse - water on both sides. The lighthouse used to be an island, but a road was built over the rocks to accommodate traffic.

We have written about the lighthouse. You can read that entry here. Some people actually ride their bike up the switch back dirt path and then carry the bike up the stairs (or turn around). What I like to do is tie up my bike at the bottom. Fast walk up the path and 300+ steps, spend two minutes at the top, hurry down the stairs and then run down the path and jump back on my bike. It keeps my heart pounding and takes about 30 minutes depending on how many people I have to get around on the stairs. It is a great workout. My final picture is my bike tied up to a telephone pole waiting for me as I complete my trek down the hill. To get home, I go back the way I came. Total time is usually around 90 minutes, give or take as the wind and stopping to talk to friends often makes a difference.

A note about the picture. If you look to the right, you see three people sitting in the middle of the roundabout--one with a guitar. These three guys were sitting there when I got there and when I left just playing music and singing old Mexican ballads (quite well too). Just one of those little treats here in Mazatlan that helps me remember why we moved here.

If you ride a bike here, please be safe. It takes a little getting used to. Most of all be careful and have fun. Enjoy your ride!

Coffee Shops/Coffee Culture in Mazatlán

2012-01-15T12:46:00.000-07:00

My previous experience with coffee in Mexico was Mexico City. I lived there during the summers from the time I was 13 till I was 19. Chilangos, in my experience, loved their coffee. My friends and I drank lots of expresso and cappuccino, over hours and hours of talking and laughing and generally enjoying being together. Most every restaurant we went to served delicious coffee drinks. Coffee grows in Mexico, it's part of the traditional culture of the country, so I looked forward to this luxury when I moved to Mazatlán.

Thus, it was quite a shock to me when I discovered that most restaurants here in town, indeed, do not have an expresso machine! I'd order my beloved cappuccinos in a restaurant here in Mazatlán, and almost never would I get one. They only served that dreaded cafe americano, or worse yet, instant "Nescafé"! I'm not sure if the overall coffee culture has changed throughout Mexico, if it's just DF that had that culture, or if it's just Mazatlán that never really adopted a coffee culture. But here, I have to go to a coffee shop to get a good cup of cappuccino. With a few exceptions.

Every Friday we climb the lighthouse. Though my husband hates coffee, he generously and most kindly agrees to sit with me in the Looney Bean Olas Altas afterwards, prior to starting our work day. This last Friday something struck me. The place was really crowded, and it was puro gringo. This time of year all the snow birds are here, and El Centro in particular transforms itself. If I lived down there I'd be used to it, but it was a bit startling to me. So I started thinking. When I go out with my (local) girlfriends for coffee, it's either late morning/noontime, or it's in the evening around 8:00 or later. Then the coffee shops are filled with Nationals.

I like to drink coffee in the morning. Give me my caffeine; get my engine started! When Greg sits with me at a coffee shop in the morning, he says it's like a methadone clinic: people are all anxious for their "fix"!!!! We wake up at 5:30 am Monday through Friday in order to get our son out the door to the school bus. Yes, I have an expresso machine; I can make my own cappuccinos. But I'd love to be able to go out and have a cup of good coffee early in the morning. Thus, my dismay when I moved here to discover that most coffee shops do not open till 10:00, a few at 9:00, many at 11:00 or later. Fortunately for me we have this wonderful gringo-owned, early-opening coffee shop in town!

Other differences: the length of time the patrons stay in the coffee shop; the comfort of the chairs; table side service or self-service; do the patrons eat or not, and how much (a pastry vs. a more substantial menu); sell "goods" (t-shirts, caps, bags of coffee) other than food or drink, or not.

Cultural Differences that my USA/Japanese Self has Experienced in Mazatlán

2012-01-15T11:39:00.003-07:00

What are some of the major cultural differences I've experienced over the four years I've lived in Mazatlán? Surely, as an interculturalist, I should have some insight.

Too often, of course, our professions don't serve us well in our personal lives; we don't practice what we preach: the handyman's home goes untended, the cobbler's kids don't have shoes. I trust that's not blatantly true for me.

First, some qualifiers:

The below are gross generalizations. Everything is situational: for every truth the opposite is also true, in a different context or manner.
Observations often if not usually tell us more about the observer than about the observed. My perspective is as a USA-born person of a certain age, with a decade-plus of life experience in Japan. That is my bias or starting point.
I love differences, and the process of trying to figure out how to navigate new situations. Thus, my thoughts below are not intended to insult (every culture has different styles and habits, as does every person), but rather to explore and try to understand. I am still very much learning and would welcome your insights/teachings. Thanks.

No worries/I belong here: Come into a class or meeting late, even when it has two minutes remaining, and sit down, conveniently, in the end chair, expecting everyone who is already seated to shift their seats (rather than waiting for the class to finish and the next to begin). Push through, nearly pushing someone out of the way, even if the person pushing is a host or retail store employee and the person being pushed is a customer. It's not rude or inconsiderate; it seems to be a mentality of "we all belong here."

What's really cool, in the situations described above, is that people also have a "live and let live" attitude, they lack the "get offended" gene: they move out of the way, they don't mind a bit of a push; they expect it and allow that the other person has the right to do whatever s/he is doing. As with anything, there are limits....

Another example would be friends who invite themselves over to your house; they miss you. You prepare for their arrival, cooking up a storm, and then they never show. They don't call, they don't apologize. It's the classic "plan ahead/control/honor obligations" mentality vs. a "be spontaneous/life happens" cultural divide, along with a "follow the rules/be polite" (wait to go until invited) vs. "relationship-first/take action" (I want to see her so let's do it) gap. Plus the fact that my local friends here don't expect me to fuss or "host" them the way I like to. Or maybe your friends do call, at the last minute, to explain they can't come. Maybe you see them a few days later, and you ask them what happened. Huh? When? Oh, yeah; something came up. No offense is given, no offense is taken.

Even though in the situations above Mexicans may seem to lack consideration, in other contexts they absolutely demonstrate consideration: Many people remember amazing detail about your life, and the next time they see you they ask, if you had injured your knee even slightly, "How's your knee?" Or they kindly remember that in passing you had mentioned your son was going camping, and they ask, "How was your son's campout?" I know that I myself often forget such details. In this regard the communication style seems so considerate, so detail-specific, and reminds me of Japan. And there is definitely an expectation that I remember the same details: where they plan to go on Christmas break, who they will visit, etc. On that score I too often come up short.

Culture of caution: This is not a culture of trust, but rather, in gross generalization, distrust. People seem to expect you, as a buyer, to make sure the item is in good condition before receiving it, to make sure someone has done a good job if they are working for you. There seems to be little assumption of someone having done well. Even when it's a very good friend who has done something for you, there is an expectation that you will inspect whatever it is and make sure it is done exactly to your liking. Sooo different from my Japanese-self mentality that this one has taken a whole lot of learning.

Negotiation/complaining: This was also a huge learning for me very early on in living here, because we were buying so many things (furniture, appliances, curtains) and contracting so many services (installs of ceiling fans, painting). I had to learn to voice concern or complaint, to negotiate price and timing. My US and Japanese styles absolutely did not work. I needed to be more assertive than I was used to, while also more social/convivial. There was a fine line: hold the negotiation and discussion of complaint tight, pointed, but with a big smile, a quick laugh, an obvious respect for the other person in wording. Much more firm, repetitive and persistent than I was used to. It felt rude to me, especially because I had heard Mexicans were indirect. This aspect of communication felt very direct, overly pushy, but with a nice veneer of a smile, polite language, and relationship-building phrases interspersed throughout. And lots of repetition and rewording.

Lack of thank yous: People in Asia or Europe often say the US is an "I love you" or "cheerleader" culture, with (often-empty) verbal professions of love, apology, thanks, encouragement. So I am obviously biased. But one of the surprises here for me was I'd give a gift, and the person would seem to like it, but would not express appreciation. Maybe admiration for the gift, or acknowledgement in some way. But I would be expecting thanks. The same for invitations to parties, paying for a meal, etc. The words "thank you" are not nearly so common here in my experience, and I wonder if they don't add distance, a formality between people at the friend level? That sincere feelings don't require a formulaic response. There is a similar lack of apologies here. Though that is one of my complaints in the USA as well. When a service person makes a mistake, or a vendor doesn't meet a commitment, they so rarely take responsibility or apologize for the inconvenience. Again, probably my Japanese-influenced expectation. Whether in the US or in Mexico, my propensity to apologize tends to be seen as lacking in self esteem, when very often it is the exact opposite.

Bright side or enjoyment in the face of hardship: This is perhaps the characteristic that I most love and admire in my Mexican friends. They can be so graceful under pressure. We have friends whose house was built by someone they've known their whole lives, incorrectly. The roof leaks. The friend always, sort of, helps them fix it, but it's never really fixed. They've now lived with a leaky house for four years. But they never yell, they never express the heightened emotion or frustration I would expect. When the roof starts leaking again they call the builder and start the process of fixing the leak, over and over again. The patience and tolerance is amazing.

This last fall we had horrible flooding in Mazatlán. Over 51 areas of town were inundated with dirty water, killing two children and destroying many homes and lots of furnishings. People worked all week to clean out the water, mud, and muck, and to dry their things. I saw tears, but I also saw lots of laughter. One family of friends, in the midst of their panic while the flood waters rushed into their home, ran out into the street, hugged one another and smiled for their daughter's camera, yelling "Happy anniversary!" Definitely an admirable way to respond to something you have little control over. I want to learn more of this dignity and empowerment in the face of adversity!

One of the biggest challenges for me adjusting to life here has been that I CRAVE more cultural informants. I was spoiled: living in Japan for so many years, I was blessed with cultural informants and guides; Japanese loved to teach gaijin about Japanese culture. Even when I lived in Spain, I found loads of people who were more than happy to educate me on a daily basis. That has not at all been my experience here in Mexico. My local Mazatleco informants usually disagree with one another about the most simple things, and they are usually very reticent to "teach," possibly because they just don't "see," that they have a culture, though they are very proud of it nonetheless. This place is not so self-reflexive as the one I spent so many years in in Asia. So, I have the "opportunity" to blunder through things and learn by doing a lot more. :)

I welcome your thoughts and insights! Enjoy the day!

Dia de los Reyes / Three Kings' Day

2012-01-09T18:44:00.000-07:00

After all the fiestas decembrinas or parties in December: the posadas of every group and neighborhood to which you belong, as well as the Christmas and New Year's festivities themselves, it might be logical to think that most Mazatlecos would be anxious to take a rest from partying. After all, Carnavál/Mardi Gras is not far off, and we all need to be in party shape!

Well, not so quickly! Before you take down the pinito or put away the crêche, we need to be sure to celebrate Epiphany or 12th Night, which in Latin America is of course called Día de los Reyes. This holiday commemorates the visit of the three magi, Melchor, Gaspar and Baltasar, to the infant Jesus in Bethlehem. It falls on January 6.

The night before, January 5, is when most Mexican kids hope for a gift. Gifts from Santa are not a traditional custom here, though they are growing in popularity. But gifts from the 3 Kings are enormously popular. Most children will put out their shoes to be filled with candies and gifts, as well as a dish with food for the kings' camels. Many families buy gifts to donate to needy children this time of year, and many public parties or community events such as Juguetón are held, with entertainment and drawings for gifts and prizes.

The evening of January 6 then becomes an excuse to brew some hot chocolate, eat rosca de reyes (a ring of bread-like cake with one or more miniature dolls baked into the batter), and get together with family and friends to maybe play a few games of lotería or dominoes.

Careful, though! The people who get the monito, the small doll, in their piece of the rosca "get" to host the party and bring the tamales on February 2, Día de la Candelaria or Candlemass, 40 days after Christmas, the day when Jesus would have been taken to the temple.

Thus, we have at least one more Candelaría party to look forward to before Carnavál begins on February 16!

Visiting Mazatlán with Kids

2012-01-08T19:37:00.004-07:00

Kids love Mazatlán! The list below should help whether you are traveling here on holiday or whether you live here and are wondering about something new and different to do with your kids during school break. The to-dos are organized alphabetically.

Aquarium and bird show: The aquarium in Mazatlán is a lot of fun. The most exciting thing at the aquarium is you can swim with the sharks! In addition to the indoor marine exhibits there are entertaining bird shows held on an outdoor covered stage. Aquarium staff do most of the rescue of marine animals and birds here in town, so we all very much appreciate you supporting this venue.
Beach day: Pick a beach, any beach. You can get chair side service and lots of vendors at a hotel beach. You can dine on fresh, affordable seafood in a palapa/thatched hut on Playa Pinos. Make sand castles, pick up sea shells and sea glass, play soccer or football, volleyball or catch ... You name it, you can't go wrong with kids and a beach.
Bicycling: Biking along the malecón/oceanside promenade is gorgeous, easy and fun! From Valentino's to the Pedro Infante Monument is about 4 miles one-way, it's of course a very level ride, and safely out of the traffic. It's easiest to borrow a bike from friends or your hotel if you can. Kelly's Bike Rental used to be near the malecón, but now he's moved up towards the marina so is a bit harder for the tourist to reach.
Bird watching, hiking and picnicking: The lush Estero del Yugo nature preserve on the north end of town makes for a day of hiking and bird watching. Bring a picnic lunch, binoculars, and your camera.
Boogie board: Bring your own, or buy one at one of the many shops along Avenida del Mar or Av. Camarón Sábalo. It's a whole lot of fun!
El Bosque/City Park: Located one block off the malecón, this park has a large pond with waterfowl, swing sets and climbing gyms, a small zoo, and a walking trail. There are play areas in small parks throughout the city, though I recommend you check their safety beforE letting your kids climb up and slide down.
Bowling: Space Bowling, up on the north end of town near Marina El Cid, has fun laser-light bowling at night, and makes for good refuge if you happen to be here during rainy season.
Boxing: Older teenagers and young adults may enjoy a night of boxing. Our boys love it, as you get up close and personal to the boxers. I imagine the ring card girls don't hurt their eyes either :) Held on Friday nights about once every month, downtown in the Cancha German Evers.
Catamaran: You can have one of the playeros take you and your family out for a cruise around the bay for very little cash. Watch the sea lions (Mazatlán is their southernmost point), cruise past Bird and Deer Islands, see the city from the sea. A boat ride is always fun. We also have sailboats, or you can go out on a party boat and enjoy music, dinner or sunset.
Climb the lighthouse: One of our very favorite family activities, we do this once a week. The climb only takes about 20 minutes, and the view from the top is gorgeous!
Dolphin, whale and sea lion watching Also one of our favorite activities! DEFINITELY do this if you are traveling here! You can read our blog post about this trip.
Fishermen: Sitting near the pangas/boats at Playa Norte beach in the morning, watching the fishermen bring in their boats, unload and sell their fish, can make for a very enjoyable morning for a family.
Fly a kite: Buy one anywhere, and spend a few hours flying it on the beach. Enjoy some ceviche, fresh fruit or turnovers/empanadas from a strolling vendor, and maybe some live music from a passing band.
Horseback riding: There is nothing like a family horseback ride on the beach, or through a forest of palm trees. Rent horses on the north end of town at Playa Bruja, or out on Stone Island.
Inline skating: That 4-mile malecón is calling your name! You and the family can of course walk it, or you can rent skates in Olas Altas at the Looney Bean coffee shop.
Island day: Spending a day at either Deer Island (one of the three islands in the bay) or Stone Island (it's actually a peninsula) feels like going back in time to a simpler, more charming era. Pretend you're shipwrecked, or that you own your own private piece of paradise. On Stone Island there are plenty of restaurants with lots of adult beverages; the beach is great for kids as the ocean is pretty calm. On Deer Island you can get a few things to eat or drink. You can get tours to either island that include banana boating, snorkeling or jet skiing; Stone Island tours often include horseback riding. Stone Island has an affordable water ferry (about US$3 round trip per person).
Kayaking: Rent a couple of kayaks on the beach in front of one of the hotels, and enjoy some terrific family time paddling in the bay.
Movies: Movie theaters in Mazatlán are MUCH more affordable ventures than they are north of the border. If you don't speak Spanish, be sure to see a subtitled movie rather than one that's dubbed. Cinepolis is in the Gran Plaza; Gaviotas is an older theater near Valentino's in the Golden Zone; and the two Cinemexes are in the main part of town on Insurgentes Street.

Paint ball: For some weird reason, paint ball is called "Gotcha" in Mazatlecan Spanish. The nearest location is Master Gotcha located behind Casa Country in the Golden Zone. Closed on Tuesdays, check their Facebook page for specials.
Parasailing: Before I parasailed I never imagined I'd enjoy it as much as I did! It is amazingly fun and exciting! Book a trip on the beach in front of your hotel.
Port: Watch the workings of the port from the Mirador or the Old Observatory. Drive, walk or bike up Paseo del Centenario to either of these places, and you will be rewarded with incredible views of the city of Mazatlán and the workings of its port. See the loading and unloading at the docks, the boats of the largest shrimping fleet in the Americas, as well as the tuna fleet.
Sea turtles: Release baby sea turtles, or see their mothers lay eggs. Sea turtles come in to the beach to lay their eggs starting in late August or September every year. It is an amazing process to watch, but please don't bother the nesting Moms! You can read a blog post about the sea turtles here. If you call the aquarium you and your kids may be able to participate in a release of baby sea turtles, which the kids also really love.
Skate park: Bring your skateboard, rip stick, BMX bike or inline skates, or just your eyes and good humor to watch the festivities. The Skate Park is next to the outdoor gym in Playa Norte. We did a blog post about it.
Snorkeling: Playa Norte has a sheltered beach, just south of the swim club and the outdoor gym, which has pretty interesting snorkeling: lots of colorful fish and sea glass. On Deer Island you can snorkel for octopus or scallops.
Surfing: Many kids would love to learn how to surf! In Mazatlán there are a few options: Mazatlán Surf Center, Jah Surf School, Puras Olas, or just do a web search.
Swimming: This would seem to be a no-brainer. In the pool, in the ocean, Mazatlán is a swimmers' paradise. Something our family loves is, in the early morning, to go down to Playa Norte and watch the swim club swimmers do their ocean swims. Many are grandmas and grandpas and boy can they swim! In November each year the club does a Travesía, during which swimmers swim out to Deer Island!
Swim with the sharks: The aquarium offers this cool activity. There are plans to swim with dolphins, but as of this blog post that's not yet an option. But swimming with sharks sounds so cool and dangerous (yet isn't)!
Tide pools: One of the BEST activities ever, on the planet, for families with young children. Bring a book of tide pool life along with you, put on some water shoes, and take a walk when the tide is out along the beach south of Valentino's. Starfish, crabs, tadpoles, sea urchins... Gotta love it!
Video arcade: Ok, I don't like going on vacation to have the kids go to an arcade, but I do remember traveling to Prague and having my kid beg for laser tag, so it happens. The best video arcade that I know of is in the Gran Plaza shopping mall. There is also a small, "cooler" one for teenagers just north of Valentino's, on the second level.
Water park: If the kids want more slide action than the hotel pool can provide, take them up to Mazagua, on the north end of town on the way to the Hotel Riu or Emerald Bay.
Zip line: Huana Coa gets incredibly high reviews on TripAdvisor. While we haven't gone on this one, if your kids are into this, it sure sounds like fun.

In addition to the above year-round activities, there are also terrific seasonal events that you should try not to miss. These include:

Carnaval/Mardis Gras (a very family-oriented five days)
MotoWeek, a huge gathering of motorcycles from around the continent. Includes concerts, an expo and a huge parade.
ExpoCar, usually held in December, this is a car show and, I guess, drag racing event. Exhibitions, concerts, and lots of burning rubber.
La Frasca/Shrimping in the estuary A once-in-a-lifetime experience for families, occurs only during shrimping season. You will need a car or driver and to speak Spanish or have an interpreter or guide.
Day of the Dead, altars and callejoneada parade
Easter Week processions
AeroFest, usually held in November along the malecón
Revolution Day
Independence Day, especially "El Grito" the night before in the main Plaza downtown
Look for signs for special events such as Monster Truck shows, Lucha Libre, circuses (one going on somewhere in town at least once/month), carnavals/fairs (5-7 every year), NBA exposition games, etc....
There are also "cultural" events such as bullfighting (held occasionally) and cock fighting (held all the time at various venues). Look for signs or ask around when you are in town if you are interested.

I've only included things right here in town. If you have something I should add, please let me know. There are also loads of things to do outside the city—small pueblos to visit, the petroglyphs at Las Labradas... Those will have to be for another summary post. :)

Enjoy your holiday! Or, rest assured that the kids will go back to school, eventually, ja ja.

New Skate Park

2012-01-08T12:47:00.001-07:00

We are soooo happy about the new skate park that was built late last year right on the beach in Playa Norte, accessible from the malecón. Built with federal funds and after lots of campaigning by the city's young people, it is a MUCH-needed space for teenagers to gather, stay out of harm's way, and get some exercise.

Every morning when we take our walk, we're amazed that there are kids out there fooling around so early. They're on BMX bikes, inline skates, as well as skate boards. They have their music blasting, and it's terrific to see all those smiling faces and physically active kids!

We've been a bit worried that construction didn't seem to include reinforcement of the underlying structure, which to us seems really weathered and rusted, but so far the structure seems stable and the park itself, with its ramps and jumps, seems highly successful.

The first major event we know about occurred when we were out of town: Urban Fest on December 17, with break dancers and graffiti artists as well as skateboarders. We heard the turnout was great; a wonderful kickoff to the new space!

One day last week when Danny was running he met a lady who told him that she and her three children had lived for 32 years in the abandoned beachfront building that is now under the new skate park! That space is open to the elements, frequently floods with the tide coming in, and as far as we know there is no running water or sewer nearby, so it must have been quite a tough life for her raising three children there. She makes her living by selling fresh coconuts, and fortunately she told Danny that her business is on the uptake now with the skate park there. The other good news is that, when the government kicked her out in order to build the skate park, they gave her land and a two-room house. Now she has much better living conditions as well as a better income. Sometimes things work out.

Anyway, this last week Friday we were eating at Puerto Azul on the malecón. We were psyched because in addition to the incredibly beautiful view and perfectly sunny day, there was great music coming from the skate park next door. A huge crowd gathered, and it felt like the vibra of the old, pre-economic crash Mazatlán that we miss so much! Luckily for us, that afternoon was the "Reyes de la Calle" skateboard tournament. We enjoyed an incredible show of skateboard and in-line skate tricks, as well as BMX bike acrobatics and spray paint artistry, while we ate our shrimp and fish. Mazatlecos placed first and third in the competition, and there were about 100 kids who participated.

Below are two videos, made by young Mazatlecos, about the skate park. Enjoy! ¡Viva el Skate Park Mazatlán!

ExpoCar Mazatlán

2011-12-10T23:24:00.001-07:00

My lifelong quest to experience different cultures had me tonight doing something very out of character: breathing in the smoke of burning rubber. Mazatlán has its MotoWeek, which, to my great surprise, we enjoy every year, but this was our first visit to the annual ExpoCar events.

The burning rubber was part of the quemado de llanta events this evening in the huge lot near Sumbawa. Cars lined up for their turn to hit the brakes while simultaneously accelerating, in a contest to generate the most smoke. Families with young children, couples, and groups of friends gathered for the opportunity to inhale the worst-smelling stuff this side of the water treatment plant. Despite the horrible effect on the environment (the event is just wrong, for me, on so many levels), it was actually quite fun.

Our involvement with ExpoCar started this afternoon, when 200 or so cars paraded by our front window, twice. It was awesome! The event includes every kind of car you could imagine: old and new, race and muscle, stock and drag, way tall and low-rider, classic and custom, SUV, truck and car... Last night and tonight these cars are on display in the event space: doors, hoods and trunks open to reveal the cars' inner workings.

We failed to take a camera when we walked over tonight, so the photos are just from the cell phone. My favorite car had a DVD play in back, with TWO screens, HUGE speakers, and GORGEOUS lighting. Want to party on the malecón? On a quiet stretch of beach? Plug in your favorite banda DVD, and let 'er rip! The photo does not do this car justice; it was waaaaay cool!

Another thing that fascinated me were the cars with parachutes on the back. In the photo at left, the car has two parachute packs, plus little mini wheels off the back.

You may know about these, but personally I had no idea they existed outside of made-for-TV test strips. There were several cards with chutes on the back. The little wheels, I suppose, are meant to prevent the car from tipping over backwards.

Greg had hoped to male-bond over this event with Danny, but Danny had other teenagers to hang out with. Had he joined us, I think he would have loved the Volkswagens that were there. He's given up on the Nissan 350Z, the Mustang GT and the Camaro, and now more realistically hopes for a bug as his first car. These were awfully darn clean and nice.

ExpoCar began Thursday night with a big TRI concert, followed by concerts both Friday and Saturday nights. There is of course a "Chica ExpoCar" contest, and racing both Saturday and Sunday at the Autodrómo Mazatlán.

All in all, not a normal Saturday night date night, but definitely something fun and different.

Thanksgiving Day Gratitude for Danny's School

2011-11-23T21:32:00.001-07:00

This Thanksgiving, I am so very grateful for Danny's school. There are downsides, as with anything, such as the large class size. But the upsides!

First came the study of world religions. Yes, this would seem to be tailor-made to make this mother happy. :) A Xaverian Catholic school that teaches the major world religions. As I have helped Danny with his homework, we have discovered what I feel are a few inaccuracies or biases, but hey, he's got me to help correct those :) And, amazingly wonderfully, the teacher has been open to hearing what Danny has to say!

But today's homework for his "ethics and values" class was a homerun for the whole family! If you have any interest in Mexico at all, or in legal systems in general, you have GOT to see this movie! Called "Presunto Culpable," it came out back in 2010, but somehow we missed it.

It is a documentary presented by a team of Mexican lawyers, about the Mexican system of "guilty until proven innocent." The movie follows the story of one young man wrongly convicted of murder, and the saga he goes through to try and prove his innocence. The statistics that are presented in the movie are astounding, including the percentages of verdicts that are convictions (95%) and the percentage of convictions with no physical evidence (92%).

As if the movie weren't powerful and thought-provoking on its own, the kids were put into pairs and told to summarize the movie in one-half to one page. They were then asked a series of really deep, reflective, valuable questions about democracy, human rights, and the personal traits that make for success. As with any film, I found those who take issue with it. Slant Magazine goes so far as to call it unethical.

Many of you who read this are dynamite educators. Bless your souls. I am very, very grateful this holiday that my son is benefitting from some dynamite teachers and a powerful curriculum, and grateful that throughout his life, each of his schools has benefitted him in wonderful ways! Thanks to the teachers who inspire our children!!!!!

Fastest Restaurant Service in the World/Karne Garibaldi

2011-11-21T13:59:00.001-07:00

México, the land of mañana, a place where ahorita ("right now") means "I am aware of it; we will get to it, eventually..." So imagine our shock this afternoon when we walked into a restaurant across the street from our hotel in Guadalajara, and before we could even sit down onto our table appears FRESH food: limes, chopped cilantro and onion, chips and salsa, and hot corn tortillas! A waiter showed up with pen and notepad in hand, smiling, asking us for our order, before we had barely sat down!

"What do you have?" I naïvely asked. "Beef cooked in its juice, small, medium or large." Easy enough. (They do have quesadillas if you don't want meat, but not much else.) Our small orders showed up in about 20 seconds. We had been sitting for all of 30 seconds, maybe, and we were eating fresh hot food! The slowest part of the process was us. Had we been experienced diners, it would have been a seamless, fluid transaction.

For us it was quite disconcerting. The place, Karne Garibaldi, is evidently pretty famous in Guadalajara, founded in the 1970s and currently with five different locations throughout the city. Since August 31, 1996, they have held the Guinness World Record for fastest service: 13.5 seconds from kitchen to table! This is not a taco stand; it is huge, comprising what are basically three large dining rooms. We didn't count, but would guess there are sixty tables and seating for a few hundred people. We normally clocked people getting served their main courses and drinks between 30 and 50 seconds, but that's still pretty darned amazingly speedy!

Remarkably to me, the staff all worked together like a well-oiled machine and, they were happy doing it! The hostesses seat groups of people and stand at the table with their hands in the air as the guests sit down. The side dishes all show up, and a waiter shows up. The waiter runs (literally) the order ticket to the kitchen, and the food and drinks are served lickety split. Other waiters wander around with fresh guacamole or other side dishes you might want to add to the standard-issue salsa, grilled cebollitas, limes, and their famous frijoles con elote (beans with corn). Waiters who are not busy taking orders or serving clear plates from tables. And boy, can they carry the weight! These are heavy pottery dishes! The entire time we were there, we only small smiles and great examples of team work, so often missing in restaurants today. Someone has done a great job instilling a culture of team work and customer service. Even the manager or crew supervisor was pitching in non-stop. Lots of nonverbal communication and staff member helping staff member; it was really fun and beautiful to watch.

Outside the restaurant in Plaza del Sol a line of cars waited a long way down the street for valets to park them, such is the demand on this place. We personally found the meat in its juice a bit bland, but there was plenty of salsa, lime, cilantro and onion to spice it up. And, thankfully, it was meat, not tripe or ears or eyes or...

The menu includes a large variety of drinks (including Greg's beloved Coke Zero in a BOTTLE!) as well as Mexican desserts (jericalla, pastel mil hojas, flan, mousse de guayaba). Prices are reasonable (see menu at left). The small orders were enough for us as we went home very satisfied. It is only a few pesos more for the next sizes up, so a hungry diner won't go broke. This is a great place to eat and probably a great place to work.

Just remember, next time someone tells you that Mexicans like to take their time... there are exceptions to every tendency!

Cerritos Beach, Otro Domingo Típico Mazatleco/Another Typical Mazatlecan Sunday

2011-10-16T20:12:00.000-06:00

I know a tranquil beach where the views are spectacular,

Where rock outcroppings shelter swimmers from rough tides.

I know a beach where both the music and the food are fantastic.

The restaurants are basic, in no way luxurious...

But, they serve fish, seafood and shellfish caught just minutes earlier...

In a shady, ocean breeze-cooled environment. Along with the seafood they serve cold beers and...

Freshly squeezed, ice cold lemonade!

I know a beach where the restaurants are plenty comfortable, and you can't beat the freshness of the food served, the spectacular views, the joy of the environment, or the price. (Greg and I had barbecued corbina, two beers, and a fresh lemonade today, and we paid 220 pesos or about US$18 for the privilege.)

I know a beach where, in addition to the music, the food, the drink, there is plenty to keep you entertained while you are relaxing, including watching families out for a Sunday afternoon picnic and swim, and fishermen putting their boats in.

If you are from Mazatlán you of course know this beach: Cerritos. Decades ago when we first started visiting Mazatlán, Cerritos was a long drive up a lonely dirt road. The beach was great, and there were a few open-air restaurants just like today.

But today the road is paved, Cerritos is right next door to the huge, world-class El Riu hotel complex, and it lies at the end of a shopping mall that caters to gringos who stay in the trailer park. It is a mere 15 minutes from the Golden Zone. And Cerritos is still, fortunately, wonderful!

If you don't want to visit a restaurant, you can picnic on the beach. You can bring your own shade, or, even easier, bring your ceviche and shrimp paté and...

Rent some shade: 130 pesos for day use of a tent, a table and four chairs.

If you haven't been to Cerritos in a while, you are overdue! If you're heading down to Mazatlán, be sure to add Cerritos to your agenda!

Below I'll add just a few random photos taken today that I thought you might enjoy.

Fishing net on the beach

Músicos ready to serve

Singly or in conjuntos

Natural swimming pool

Lots of families enjoying a day in the shade

Our restaurant from the outside

Oysters for sale

Read the first in my "Typical Mazatlán Sunday" series.

Islamic and Arabic Influences on Mazatleco Spanish

2011-10-12T18:37:00.004-06:00

One of the interesting things I've noticed about how living here in Mazatlán has changed me over the past three years is in my vocabulary and manner of expression.

"When are you leaving on your business trip?" a friend asks me in Spanish. My "normal," pre-Mazatlán response would have been, "I'm leaving late Sunday morning."

After living here a few years now, however, my "normal, living-in-Mazatlán" response tends to be either: "Primero Diós (God permitting), I'll leave late Sunday morning;" "Si Diós quiere (God willing), I'll leave late Sunday morning;" or "Dios mediante, I'll leave late Sunday morning."

BIG difference to me, in both my worldview (more fatalistic/less control and structure) as well as in my phrasing.I find myself talking like this in Spanish all the time now, without thinking about it, whereas I would never before have said that. It is of course because I hear the people around me talking like that every day.

And I don't just talk like this in Spanish; I find myself saying things like this more and more often in English as well. I've had some interesting feedback when saying things like this in English, especially when talking to Europeans. "What does God have to do with it?" or "Religion sure has taken on a major role in your life, Dianne." A response in which I sense a bit of distrust, dislike or caution. This response, like any behavior, reflects a worldview, one in which it is not the custom to refer to God in this way, one in which spiritual beliefs are private matters, and in which recently there has been significant backlash to immigration and Islamization. In our local context, such phrasing doesn't necessarily seem particularly religious; it's just how many people speak.

To avoid such misinterpretation, I sometimes find myself avoiding references to God, which at this point requires purposeful choice. Alternatively I say something like, "The plan is to leave late Saturday morning," or "My plane reservation is for a late Saturday morning departure." Both of these phrasings feel much more cumbersome to me, they are not natural, yet they feel better than the "old" phrasing: "I'll leave late Saturday morning." That's hard for me to say now. It feels too arrogant, too mechanistic. Things happen; things change. "The plan is to leave..." feels more truthful. More respectful. Less arrogant.

Most Mexicans will say that this sort of fatalistic or God-fearing phrasing originates in Catholicism. I am confident that Catholicism is part of the reason, and a devout belief surely encourages such thinking and expression. But the people who use such expressions are not limited to Catholics, nor church-goers. I've been to many Catholic countries where I don't hear people referencing fate and God with every other sentence. Honestly, I believe this sort of phrasing in Mexican Spanish originated or was at least an influence of the Moors in Spain. They brought Islam and Arabic phrases to Spain (inshallah in Arabic, which became ojala in Spanish), and this mentality and phrasing have survived, thrived, and are alive and in frequent use in modern day on the west coast of Mexico. Such an outlook may resonate with indigenous Mexican beliefs and worldviews as well; of that I am unsure.

Another frequent local expression is the response to "How are you?" In high school Spanish classes I learned that the correct response is, "Bien, gracias. ¿Y tú? More often than not, people here will respond with, "Gracias a Diós, aquí ando" (Thanks to God, here I am); "Sigo de pie" (I am still alive); or "Echándole ganas" (I'm doing my best/giving it my all). These expressions, in my feeling for and understanding of them, infer a gratitude for life, a desire to express joy and gratitude and not to complain despite the huge economic hardships people have experienced in recent years. These are also expressions I find myself saying all the time, and ones I sense also originate from Islamic beliefs. It is amazing to me how what happened centuries ago on another continent affects so strongly how we express ourselves today. Or, you may say, it's all Catholicism. :)

NBA Exhibition Game in Mazatlán/Baloncesto NBA

2011-10-08T20:40:00.001-06:00

The NBA exhibition game held on October 6, 2011 at the Lobodome - University of Durango was a great experience. The three of us went along with Danny's good friend, Raúl.

The all-day investment to get tickets paid off as we ended up with floor level seats three rows back and just about under the basket.

If you look closely at this picture, I have circled our seats - left side of the far side basket, at the top of the picture.

Najera, an NBA player who we believe is from Chihuahua, seemed to have a joy-filled evening welcoming his buddies to his home country. He shot both the first and the last baskets of the evening. I tried to talk to him, but I think he looked right over my head - damn I'm short compared to these guys.

The players were really nice to the kids in the crowd.

Here is a video of a slam dunk!

Video of a dunk

Tip Off!

This drum troop was standing outside getting people excited as we entered the school. I don't think they were official.

In the central courtyard of University of Durango they had a big-screen set up, so that those without tickets could still watch the game.

The event was MUCH better organized (at least upon entry) than the last LoboDome event we attended.

Third row, courtside, under the basket = happy jovenes.

Small venue, clear view, happy night.

The guys tried out the floor for themselves prior to the game. It met with their approval. :)

Balls are ready to go for warm up.

And the first player out for warm up is Najera.

"Sure, kid, nice to meet you. Your English is really good!" If we brought a ball or a shirt or something, the players were signing everything.

Come on, come on! :)

Playing with a boy from the audience. This kid had game.

The crowd in the upper deck.

Governor Malova greeting the crowd.

Pre-game video

Video of the pre-game excitement, leading up to the players coming in

Players enter the gym

Free-throw sequence:

Sequence of four: Look

Shoot

Block

Score

We were definitely right in the midst of the action

"Astros," a local school dance and cheer team, performed at half time.

Sequence of 4: Get the ball

Float in the air with the ball

Decide to slam it

And score

The boys got all the freebies. Now what do they do with them?

The bench. Marion was definitely Dianne's personal fave.

The Lobo mascot, and some clam?

The Coppel stork? A CULTURA mascot? I thought the stork was from Mega - who knows!

Oh yeah!

Danny's friend Iván told him they are working on some public camping areas! Awesome news! He also said the state wants to do this event again next year with better players - bring it on!

"I've got it! I've got it!"

"I told you I had it!!!"

With less than one minute to go, there is suddenly a very dramatic push and fall. Which of course resulted in a tied score and overtime. How coincidentally lucky for all of us. :D Good showmanship.

And, the final shots of the game:

Final score - think about it - four 10 minute periods and one three minute overtime. You got it. No defense - it was a terrific offensive exhibition - these guys got real talent and it was a lot of fun to watch 334 points get scored in 43 minutes (almost 8 per minute).

Confetti!!!

The exit from an event at the LoboDome is never easy... Huge crowd for such a narrow exit, don't you think?

Other stuff: A video of the warm-up

And a video of the cheerleaders lifting El Lobo.

Playing around and having fun!

Dianne was really excited to see the big boys play

Good friends going on four years - nice to see two nice young men.

For a video news report of this event, click here.

This is the second part of a two part blog entry - for the first part, click here.

Changes in Latitudes, Shifts in Geographies

2011-10-07T20:27:00.000-06:00

Travel to Tucson, Phoenix, Los Angeles, and tell me this: does it feel like you are in the USA? Or, does it feel like México? Spanish language signage and Spanish spoken everywhere, taco stands, Latino cinema and art, mecánicos, banda music...

Now tell me this: travel to Baja, to Rocky Point, Los Cabos, San Carlos. Does it feel like you are in México? Or does it feel like the USA? English language signage and English spoken everywhere, hamburgers, private gated communities with big homes and big yards (yes, yards!).

There is a MAJOR population shift and geographic exchange of cultures going on in North America, people! Stand up and take notice! NAFTA may not have worked in many of the ways originally dreamed about, but PEOPLE are blurring the borders of today's nation states, helping create our blended world.

Dar Plaza/"Gifting" Your Job Upon Retirement

2011-10-06T14:39:00.003-06:00

As most of you know, I endeavor to be respectful of other cultures. There are certain things, however, that for me are wrong regardless of how acceptable they may be in a given culture: genital mutilation, slavery, and corruption, to name a few.

Which leads me to an interesting cross-cultural situation I've been living recently. Two of my Mazatlecan girlfriends, while both still in their forties, are retiring very soon. I am sooo happy for them! They have both worked 20+ years in their careers and are fully vested in their pensions. They are both slated to receive a monthly stipend as well as ongoing, lifelong medical care. Hooray for their good fortune. And, interesting to me, both of them have "plazas" ("places," "seats," "positions," or "jobs") to give.

What does that mean, you might ask? Or, you may understand this practice better than me, in which case please help me learn! What I have learned from my girlfriends is that they each are able to give their plaza, or their "job," to someone else.

My first example seems fairly straightforward. One of my girlfriends is fairly high-ranking in her government office. She is retiring, and she has a son who is about 20 and a bit lost. He's dropped out of school a couple of times, he's gotten in with the wrong crowd of friends, he has no idea what he wants to do with his life, though he is generally a good kid. She of course wants to help him in any way she can to make a success of his life. She has a plaza or job to give (sort of passing on her job to someone else when she retires), and she is giving that plaza to her son, who is now studying to receive his Bachelor's degree (university). He will not literally step into her high-ranking position, but he will take an entry-level position in the office in which my friend worked, with a career path that will be similar to hers. Small business owners may dream of passing on their enterprises to their kids, but it's nice to be able to gift your job to your child upon your retirement, don't you think?

My other girlfriend is a public school teacher. None of her children want her plaza; they have other career aspirations. She has a neighbor whose mother died a couple of years ago from cancer. This young woman studied to be a teacher, but did really poorly on the qualifying tests. So, there's pretty much no way that the young woman is going to be hired to teach, from what my friend tells me. Just as my girlfriend was ready for her last week of work, the young woman's father approached my friend to ask if she'd please give his daughter her plaza. She agreed.

What this means is that, instead of retiring as planned, my friend is going to work 3-4 more months in order to have time to do all the necessary paperwork, so that she can give this young neighbor her plaza. Technically this is not "legal," as I am told plazas should go to blood relatives only. But it is apparently very common practice. Many people, I'm told, even sell their plazas to the highest bidder.

I'm sorry. While I think it's fantastic that my friend's son can get a secure and well-paying government job, and I'm happy a young woman whose lost her mother will be able to realize her dream of teaching, this plaza practice seems wrong to me. It seems a holdover from an earlier time. It doesn't reward those who have studied and perform well. I do hope these two young people will thrive in their new roles and prove me wrong, prove that they were, after all, the best people for the positions.

In the meantime, I try to be as supportive a friend as I can be to my girlfriends. They have done their duty, and deserve to celebrate the completion of their careers. They have been told since early in their careers that gifting a plaza to one of their children would be a benefit of their jobs. They are players in a system that is larger than they are, a system I can hope will change to one more merit-based. We live in a world in which more people are educated and competent than in years past, when the system was perhaps first implemented.

NBA Players in Mazatlán's LoboDome

2011-10-06T13:47:00.001-06:00

The boys are excited! For 350 pesos (the equivalent of about US$30) we have court-side seats to see 20 NBA players up close and personal (intimate venue) this evening in the LoboDome.

Our state governor, Mario López Valdez, arranged for them to come down to Mazatlán to play an exhibition game while they are off the court in the US due to labor negotiations. The NBA stars signed autographs and were available for photos this morning on the malecón, and are planning to do so again this evening prior to the game. They also were kind enough to provide free clinics for children here yesterday and today.

Players we should get to see tonight are:

Eduardo Nájara (Charlotte)
Steve Nash (Phoenix)
Jason Kidd (Dallas)
Paul Pierce (Boston)
Shawn Marion (Dallas)
Kevin Love (Minnesota)
Tyson Chandler (Dallas)
Marcus Camby (Portland)
Corey Maggette (Milwaukee)
Jarrett Jack (New Orleans)
Jordan Hamilton (Denver)
Jerryd Bayless (Toronto)
Earl Watson (Indiana)
Dahntay Jones (Indiana)
Anthony Randolph (Minnesota)
Hyland Jordan (Clippers)
Ryan Hollins (Cleveland)
Anthony Tolliver (Minnesota)
Dominic McGuire (Charlotte)

I'll give you all an update on how it goes!

Link to Noroeste story "All Star Show"

Link to the story about how fast the tickets sold out

Link to Noroeste story

This is the first part of a two-part story. For the second part click here.

Thai Cooking in Mazatlán with New (and Old) Friends

2011-09-27T18:01:00.001-06:00

For three days recently Mazatlán was blessed with a lot of laughter (normal here) and a whole lot of wonderful Thai cooking (a blessing), with fresh ingredients and a trained chef in a GORGEOUS old ocean-view home with honest-to-God incredibly wonderful women.

We have terrific food here, but, having lived for a decade in both Tokyo and San Francisco, we don't have the international variety I would like. I CRAVE good Moroccan, Ethiopian, Indian, lamb shish-kabob, a good borscht .... Ironically, we do have a terrific local Thai restaurant, Zab Thai, where we eat every once in a while and for which we are very grateful.

Anyway, when six months ago my friend Indra told me she'd taken some Thai cooking classes in a friend's home, I made sure she gave me all the info! I cook a lot of Asian food at home, but I was sure I'd learn something new, and I was eager to check out the classes.

The classes are taught by Lis Maiz Rochin, a Mexican woman who lived in Southeast Asia for years and runs the Mibong restaurant in the Condesa neighborhood of the DF. Her husband is Mazatleco, so fortunately for us Lis comes here regularly. Though I doubt she will visit us again in the heat of September! That's her on the right in the photo with me.

I wasn't able to attend all three classes, since I am a working woman, but I made two of them. Each time we prepared four dishes, and walked out of class stuffed!

What I Loved Most

So, what did I love most about these classes? FISH BALLS! They rocked! I was really shocked to realize that I love these little things, order them all the time when traveling, but I've never made them at home. And they are so easy! And the dipping sauce we made was exquisite.

I was so so so so very psyched to see fresh (it may have been packaged, I'm not sure, but whole, real not canned) BAMBOO SHOOTS. Oh how I loved these in Japan, eating them as if they were candy! I soooooo miss them. And Lis brought some, and used them with abandon in the foods we prepared. Gotta love it!

Bamboo grows in Mazatlán, and I hadn't realized how much I missed this until we used it, but if you know where in town I can buy fresh bamboo shoots, please let me know.

Giant fresh GINGER ROOT! Now ginger root I can buy here, and I often do. But these were soooo much fresher than what I normally find here in town, and they were gigantic! I brought some of the class leftovers home, sliced it up, and put it in the freezer so I'd always have some on hand.

I also was sooooo excited to see a bag of sticky rice for the first time in forever! I was lucky to be able to bring home the remainder of this bag, at left, and I plan to do my best to get some shipped from Coyoacán to us here in Mazatlán.

And what did we make with this mochi-gome? Mango sticky rice, of course! Mmmmmhhh!!! Calorie-, sugar-, and fat-free of course (lol).

So, okay Dianne, you loved your nostalgic trip through some of the foods you miss from Japan, finally available in Mazatlán. Anything else?

Yes, Lis had the most beautiful, and practical, Thai wooden mortar and pestle, which she used for making salad dressing. Take a look; that's the wooden bowl and pestle there at the rear of the photo.

The thing I most loved about this class, though, was that the women attending it were truly awesome. I crave girlfriends who have international interests and passions, who are creative and fun, and boy did I find it with this crew!

Left to right we are Magda, me, Chika (I am sooooo excited to meet a Japanese woman who lives here in Mazatlán!!! FINALLY!!!! Hooray!!!), Erika, Lis our teacher, Manina our hostess, and my friends Nancy and Conchita.

What I Learned

What did I learn in this class? Well, embarrassingly enough, I learned that when we cut lemongrass, we should only cut the center, white, heart of the stalk. I always wondered why the stalks were so hard to cut! Oops! I know that lemon grass (té de limón) also grows here in town, so if you know a source, would you please let me know? I'd love to grow some on my balcony beside my beloved basil plant.

While I've eaten a lot of Southeast Asian desserts in my day, I never realized the terrific combo of pairing light/sweet/slimy lychee or rambutan with crispy/strong/bitter fried shallot. Definitely an inspired pairing!

There were of course many things I learned, such as to always remove the green "sprout" in the center of a clove of garlic, if you find one, as it's bitter. One last learning that really stands out for me, though, is the cool cutter Lis had. I WANT ONE! Mis primas-hermanas or beloved sister-cousins: when I visit Indiana to see you in October please let's find and buy a few of these. I promised the ladies here I'd try. Why is it so cool? Well.....

Look what it does! You can julienne mango or carrots or whatever, in the same quick and easy way you peel them! Gotta get me one of these gizmos.

Thanks for reading my post! I welcome your comments and especially your local ingredient and supply sources. You all, of course, know about Toyo Foods, up the right-side-fork of the street above Club Navy, next to the pescadería. They are a godsend.

La Frasca/Shrimping in the Estuary

2011-09-25T09:38:00.002-06:00

We had a FANTASTIC afternoon and evening learning about shrimping with a cast net/atarraya in the estuaries of Agua Verde, which is between Caimanero and El Rosario. We returned home with heartfelt smiles, new friends, 5 kilos of huge fresh shrimp (for which we paid about 7 bucks), a bunch of fresh crab (which our new fishermen friends gave us for free), and a bucketload of end-of-season mangoes ($4 for a crate full). ¡¡Viva Sinaloa y los Sinaloenses!!!!!!

We set out late Saturday afternoon with our compadres, Jorge and Silvia, to attend the first annual "Festival de la Frasca." While Jorge told me "frasca" is not a word, and that I surely must be trying to say "zafra" or "open season," local people tell us it is a southern Sinaloan term meaning "to capture shrimp from the estuary."

The Festival de la Frasca was supposed to be a food fest with live music. But as usual they were running late setting up, and before we could really get into the party we found much more exciting things calling us.

Just one month ago we had driven this very same road, but shrimp season is now open, and it was an even more wonderful place! I HIGHLY recommend you visit during shrimping season! While the season lasts 6 months, the first few weeks are supposedly the best, as the shrimp and the shrimpers are the most plentiful.

As we drove in we saw men with cast nets (atarrayas) everywhere. Though mango season has finished, it is now the height of the shrimping season, and they have already planted tomatoes. After tomato season will come chile season, and so goes the year here.

Shrimp season is huge. We were told that opening day is like Carnaval—wall-to-wall people everywhere, with families fishing, picnicking and partying all night long. Family members come from all over the region back to Caimanero and Agua Verde to help with the shrimping, and to perform their obligations under the cooperativa (to work a minimum of so many hours and to capture a minimum of so many kilos). Women and children hang out with the fishermen, so it feels like life transfers from town to the estuary during this time.

Beside the road that just two weeks ago looked so very different we saw little houses or shelters, many of them housing the shrimpers. A standard shelter like the one shown here has one or two lights powered by a propane tank, a plastic shelter for rain, chairs, a way to cook (usually a fire pit), a radio and a cell phone. As you can see, they sit just off the road. Can you imagine spending the night there with cars, trucks, and motorcycles coming by a few feet away from you all night?

We greeted one of these guys, Rodolfo, at one of the stands, and he urged us to pull over and join him. So we did. The night crew, including Marco (who lives in Mazatlán but returns home for shrimp season), his 8 year old son and his 17 year old nephew, plus one other man, were just pulling up as we arrived.

Rodolfo proceeded to feed us a whole mess of fresh crab and shrimp, beside the road, in the fresh breeze, looking out over the estuary. La vida dura. While I well know, from living in Japan, how to crack open a fresh crab, scrape out the lungs, and eat the juicy brain and meat, this fisherman really enjoyed teaching us, and my comadre, Silvia, really enjoyed learning.

Here we also ate shrimp crudo with salt and lime (my all-time favorite—huge prawns, still wiggling; oh yum!), but he also cooked some for Silvia in a pot of broth.

We stayed here about an hour, chatting, feasting and just generally relaxing. We bought our first few kilos of shrimp, as well as receiving a huge bagful of cooked crab.

There were also many changueros, who we've heard about since arriving in Mazatlán, but this was the first time we met a few. They are estuary shrimpers who are not members of a cooperativa. They catch shrimp but legally are not supposed to be doing so. Many of the changueros used purina (shrimp chow) to get the shrimp up to the surface. None of the cooperativa fishermen we met used purina. They were very proud to explain to us that their shrimp were the purest.

Below is a video of one shrimper casting a net, and his wife helping him take out the shrimp and put them into a bucket.

After getting back in the car, we made the rounds of several cooperativas. At the first one the view was spectacular.

Rodrigo, a man we met there, sold us some more live shrimp. At left is his photo, and below a video of some of the shrimp wishing they could run away.

We had arrived here just in time for sunset. The sky and the water glowed. People were all so friendly, open and hospitable that it was amazing. Everyone was eager to talk, to explain this long Sinaloan shrimping tradition, and to share their catch of the day with us. To me this frasca tradition is soooo important; it's Sinaloa's history, and the if not some of the best shrimp in the world. And tons of it are harvested BY HAND here each year and shipped worldwide. I know such shrimping used to happen right here in Mazatlán; even next to Hotel Playa was an estuary (no wonder Zona Dorada floods).

The fishermen brought out packets of salt, fresh limes and bottles of salsa, and urged us to eat from their catch to our hearts' content. Alfresco dining overlooking the estuary with friendly, happy, relaxed, knowledgable people; it was a wonderful afternoon. Every boy we met knew how to cast a net. They seem to start as young as seven or eight.

"Girls just wanna have fun..."

We also sat here for quite a long time, again feasting on raw shrimp (no cooked ones this time), and watching the guys cast their nets in the scenic little harbor.

The video below shows a guy casting his net from a panga, so you can see that as well as the earth-bound approach shown above.

The pangas or small fishing boats go out with two guys normally, one remero or rower, and one atarrayero or net caster. Most of the estuary is only hip- or waist-deep, so the remero carries a long stick or remo and basically pushes the panga along, similar to the movement of the gondolas in Venice.

Below is a short clip of the gentleman at left rowing.

There are various cooperativas to which the shrimpers belong. This drive out to one of them was really something — estuary on either side of the road, with loads of lit pangas all around.

Below is a video, so you can get a better feel for this road-with-water-on-both-sides drive.

After visiting some very cool places and meeting lots of wonderful people, we ended up spending another couple of hours sitting with Marco and his family. It was so peaceful there, and so very pleasant. Excuse the poorer quality of the photos from here on. The batteries on our camera died, so the remaining photos are taken with our phone.

On the way out we stopped at one last cooperative, this one the largest we'd seen. Here they had a large building or warehouse, surrounded by dozens of pangas fishing. Families were sitting and standing everywhere, waiting for their husbands, fathers, boyfriends and brothers to come in with their catch.

A semi-truck full of ice was waiting nearby.

A group of men with a scale and ledgers was registering incoming shrimp.

After dipping the bins full of shrimp into ice water, they placed the bins in the refrigerated truck where they are covered with ice and then taken to Mazatlán for sorting, packing and export.

It was at this last cooperative that we also saw our youngest atarrayero, this boy of about eight, at left.

We kept telling our friends that this was an otro mundo, or other world, that most guests in Mazatlán don't know anything about or understand. We learned a lot about how the cooperativas function and about the life of a shrimper. We all got to eat live shrimp and enjoy some great company. The festival probably happened, but we know we had a lot more fun hanging out with our friends and meeting new ones. We already have plans to go back. We will definitely go opening night next year for the carnaval de cameron, and will head out some month just before the full moon when the really large shrimp are said to be much more plentiful and easier to catch. To be able to find Rodolfo and Marco's shelter, we put their spot into our GPS and got their cell phone number. Stay tuned.

Un Domingo Típico Mazatleco/Sunday Afternoon in Mazatlán

2011-09-18T14:35:00.001-06:00

Mazatlán has so very many terrific aspects, but one of our absolute favorites is the music. Live music. Whether it be a single bohemio with guitar strolling past, a world-class symphony or opera in the Angela Peralta, a norteña on the beach, or a complete live band, we trust this enjoyable aspect of life here in our port will never fade!!

We are fortunate to have compadres y comadres we've known for over 30 years, and we love to enjoy a "quiet" Sunday afternoon of fresh fish, seafood and, of course, beers for the adults, together with them. One recent Sunday the "boys" started outdoing each other (God bless machismo, a veces), and before the afternoon was over they had hired three separate bands to play for us for hours. Here is a taste.

This first clip above is an instrumental, by the house band that played first for us that Sunday. The name of the song is "Tecateando," but as we live in the home of Grupo Modelo, we prefer to call it "Pacifiqueando." Enjoy! You'll see the signs around for zarandeado, fresh oysters... We have terrific seafood here. You'll also get a taste of the gorgeous weather we enjoy.

The second clip, above, I post as a tribute to the lead singer. In this one he's singing Chuy Lizarraga's popular song, "La Peinada."

This third clip is of our second band of the day, a smaller norteña group. You can see how difficult it is to relax here, lol...

And, as always, the best for last. By now things have warmed up, food has been eaten, and beer has been imbibed. This third group had a drummer who took the bass player's place to dance with the bass, as you'll see. Once he finished, the bass player decided he wasn't so elderly after all, and he could dance and jump with his bass as well as the drummer could. It made for a terrific culmination to the day.

When you come to Mazatlán to visit, we know you'll LOVE our músicos. If you live here, please, please help support our local live music scene! I'll finish this post with a photo of a cubeta from a typical Sunday afternoon here:

High Tides/High Sands

2011-09-04T14:29:00.000-06:00

The last 2-3 weeks have seen tides higher than we've seen in a long time here. Often this time of year the waves splash up over the seawall near Valentino's, sometimes even onto Avenida del Mar. But this year, the waves have even been splashing onto the Avenida in Olas Altas.

Last Thursday we were taking our morning walk and we had to turn back because we were getting sand blasted. We've noticed the last week or so that there are 2-3 inches of sand all along the malecón in various places, as well as onto the street.

The surfers are of course happy with these waves, as are the body boarders. Though the waves are too high for some. The fishermen have not generally been pleased. The waves have overturned quite a few of the pangas, and the port as well as the beaches have been closed a few times due to the high seas. The fishermen have had to put their pangas up on the malecón several times for safe keeping. Shrimp season this year is predicted to be fantastic, thanks to all the high seas plus the rain.

Today we bicycled down to the Pedro Infante statue. We were, gratefully, splashed by waves a few times as we rode. What was most remarkable, however, is that the beach is AT LEAST ONE METER HIGHER than it normally is! There are places where you can now almost walk from the malecón onto the beach. There are numerous palapas into which the waves are now entering freely. The few palapas that have laid concrete flooring, that are normally a foot or two above sea level, they now have sand for flooring. La Corriente and other palapas near the Hotel De Cima have had to bring in bulldozers to dig their spaces and furniture out from under the sand.

In the photo at left, note that the round table is normally about one meter ABOVE the sand. The lower part of this palapa, normally, is well above head height. Not this week!

In this next photo, please note that the sign normally has a pole that keeps it a couple of feet/half meter or so ABOVE the sand.

And all this, with no hurricane, and with no real horrific storm. It's eerie.

In addition to all the high seas, of course, we have had heavy rains. It is rainy season. Saturday a week ago we received in one day one-third of the rain we normally get in one year! Nine inches poured down in seven hours. Thousands if not tens of thousands of homes have been flooded repeatedly, and most of those families have lost all their furniture. It rained high in the Sierras as well, and as the rivers brought all that rain down to the sea, the rivers carried in them tree trunks, dead cows and pigs, silt, sediment, and trash of every sort. The tides were just right that the rivers washed it all out to sea, and then the waves came in and washed it all up to the beach. Everyone has spent the last two weeks cleaning up wood and other items from the beaches. It's been a remarkable, community-wide effort.

Sunsets in Mazatlán/Atardeceres en Mazatlán

2011-09-03T10:32:00.001-06:00

Many of you know how much we LOVE sitting on our terrace and watching the incredible light shows that God blesses us with each and every day. I often share the "sunset of the day" on my Facebook page, and they are some of the most-liked posts. So, I thought you might like to watch a slideshow of some of my favorite Mazatlán sunset shots. Enjoy! You can watch it in full screen and high definition if you'd like.

El Faro/The Lighthouse

2011-08-23T20:00:00.004-06:00

At 160 meters above sea level, the El Faro de Mazatlán is said to be the highest naturally occurring lighthouse in the world. I don't believe this is true, (see my notes on Gibraltar at the end of this post), but I do know that a hike up our beloved El Faro hill is WELL worth it. In every season of the year it is gorgeous!

The view from the top of the hill is of course SPECTACULAR. You can look west to the Sierras, out over the city and waterways of Mazatlán, or east to the vast expanse of the Pacific. It's a great place to sit and have a picnic, and take some panoramic photos of the pristine beaches of Isla de la Piedra while they remain undeveloped.

Your hike up the hill will only take 15-20 minutes. There are plenty of people who run the route. It starts out as a dirt path, and higher up turns into about 300 concrete steps which wind their way around a few switchbacks. Each turn and each elevation provides you a different vantage, and all are delightful. It's as pretty on a clear day as on the rare cloudy or rainy one.

You'll see ferries, cargo ships, shrimping boats, fishing boats, party boats, sailboats, and pangas.

You start your hike on the east side of the port. This is where many of the fishing excursions and party boats load their passengers, and there are a few dry docks and boat repair facilities to catch your interest.

At the entrance to the lighthouse walk, at the base in front of the port, is a coconut seller. You might want to join him for some refreshment on the way up or down.

The flora and fauna on your hike will delight your senses. In the early spring the cacti bloom. The green contrasting with the brilliant blue of the ocean will make you so glad you came! In just about any season of the year you'll see something flowering.

We climb the lighthouse hill at least once a week, we enjoy it that much. Two weeks ago I told everyone we were "Wasting Away Again in I-gu-a-na-ville," because we saw at least eight different iguanas sunning themselves during our climb to the top. We saw lime green, deep green, yellow, orange, brown and black iguanas.

This week I had to change that to "Arañaville," as the spiders were out spinning their webs in whatever direction you cared to look. It was incredibly gorgeous!

Along the route people have graffitied the stairs. Near the top of the stairs is one of my favorites: a Spanish lesson. It teaches the difference between "top" and "abyss," which sound similar in Spanish (or at least the Mexican version of the language).

Once you reach the top, and after you take in the view to your heart's desire, there is also a trail that takes you down behind the lighthouse, on the other side. There are several resting places, and a steep climb involving rope at one point that leads down to the water.

Here you can see our much-worshipped cervecería, the Modelo beer brewery, from lighthouse hill.

NOTE: The highest lighthouse in the world, some have told me, is the Europa Point lighthouse on Gibraltar. However, though the Rock of Gibraltar is 426 meters high, the lighthouse is located on the waterfront, not the top. There is only an aviation beacon at the top of the Rock of Gibraltar. Thus, I'm not sure how our local El Faro ranks globally. It may indeed be the highest.

Caimanero & Walamo: Day Trip from Mazatlán

2011-08-20T19:55:00.007-06:00

Though Danny's been in school a week already, tomorrow is the "official" first day of school. He took off with a bunch of friends to Isla de la Piedra, so Greg and I figured we should head out for a day trip as well. Where to go? We've been wanting to get back to Cosalá, but since it was already late by the time we were ready to leave that seemed too far to go.

We hadn't been to Caimanero in a while. How about some zarandeado? Yeah! Even in the heat of summer, the beach has a nice breeze, so as long as we'd be under a palapa at one of our favorite restaurants, fresh fish, a gorgeous drive and an incredible view sounded great!!!!

The drive to Caimanero is super easy and very scenic. You basically only make one turn, through Walamo, to get to Caimanero from Mazatlán. The drive is very relaxing, with lots of rural vistas and small town scenes. Estuaries with waterfowl (cranes, storks...), beaches and palm trees, mountains, and aguaculture farms (both shrimp and fish).

We left at 11:30, we were home by 6:00, we stopped a dozen or more times, and we ate a very leisurely and delicious lunch that only cost us 250 pesos with tip for two people with beer. Get your day trip gear on and take a trip, people! Enjoy! Be sure to watch the slideshow below to see just how incredibly lucky we are to live in Mazatlán, with so much to offer in the city and nearby.

Names and Apellidos

2011-07-04T18:53:00.007-06:00

Phone calls are rarely easy in a new language or culture. I remember calling a friend, Arnoldo, shortly after we'd moved here. The person who answered yelled out for "Lalo" to come to the phone! What's up with that? "Lalo" is short for "Eduardo," not "Arnoldo!" Had they misheard me? Was my pronunciation that bad? I didn't want to speak with someone I didn't know...

A few months later I received a call from a friend who told me she was "Bertalicia," a rather long name with the emphasis on the "Alicia" ending. I couldn't figure out who she was, even though she repeated herself several times. It was embarrassing. Eventually she had to explain to me who she was. Why? Because I knew her as "Bertha."

Then, I've called a home to ask for someone, only to be asked "which one?" It is a very common practice to name daughters after their mothers, and sons after their fathers. So, they could be asking whether I want to speak to the parent or the child. But, at least in this part of México, it is also common for several (or all) children to share the same first name!!!! We know one family of girls named María Ana, María José, and María de la Luz, and María de Pilar. Through experiences like these I've come to learn that particularly "José" and "María" are more like placeholders or titles rather than names; the commonly used name would be the composite or, often, just the second name.

"María" and "José" are obviously very, very common names in Spanish. Want to complicate matters a bit more? A man can have the name "María,"as in "José María." Likewise, a woman can have the name "José," as in "María José."

And, we all know that Mexicans LOVE apodos or nicknames! There are the "standard" versions for men and women, such as when Jesús become Chuy, Mercedes becomes Meche, or Francisco becomes Pancho or Paco. In the above case, Ms. María Jose might be called Pepa, Pepita, Josefa, or even José, so be careful about gendering! Likewise, "Lupe" or "Guadalupe" can be male or female. There are also the individual nicknames, most often referring to a physical feature (flaco, pelón, negro) or personal characteristic (loco).

The stereotype, of course, is that Spanish speakers all have llllloooooooonnnnngggg names. How many movies have we seen where, women particularly, spend several minutes rattling off their multiple names? But what I have found most surprising and confusing is that people are called differently by different people. What should I call people? Ok, my Dad was called "Charlie" by people who grew up with him, and "Chuck" by those who knew him as an adult. But names here are more complicated than that. We know one guy who told us his name was "Victor." Most everyone else we know calls him "Lorenzo." At work, however, he is called "Toby," a nickname taken from a television show about a boys' club. I hate to ask him what his family calls him.

Remember back in high school Spanish classes, when they taught us the "rules" around names in Spanish? Here's what I remember learning way back then:

People have a first or given name (e.g., Ana or Juan).
Sometimes they also have a second name (e.g., María or Pedro). In this case, their given name is a composite: Ana María or Juan Pedro. They may be called by one or both names.
It is also rather frequent for people to use a confirmation name (e.g., Teresa or Antonio). These often are not used on a daily basis, but can form part of a person's complete name.
These given names are followed by apellidos or family/surnames: their father's family name first (e.g., Ana María Teresa Pérez, or Juan Pedro Antonio Lizárraga), followed
By their mother's family name (e.g., Ana María Pérez Fernández, or Juan Pedro Antonio Lizárraga Castro).
When a woman marries (e.g., the two people named above), she maintains rather than changes her family name and, in some situations, adds "de" and the family name of her new spouse (spouse's father's name) (e.g., Ana María Pérez de Lizárraga or Ana María Pérez Fernández de Lizárraga).
Their children's names would follow the same rules, so in the case above the children's last names would be Lizárraga Pérez, with "Lizárraga" being the main apellido.

That's all fine and good, but I've come to find out there are national, regional, ethnic, socio-economic and familial variations on naming, as well as LOADS of exceptions to these rules. I know one family, for example, where each son in the family fortunately uses only one given name, but they have THREE surnames: de Alba Rulfo de Jimenez. Huh? Two Moms? Children of divorce? What the heck??? No, I've come to find out that there are also composite last names! Such composite surnames may be connected by "de" or by a hyphen. Sometimes only one of these is used, though officially it should be both (or all). And we can all see what happens when someone with a composite surname marries another person with a composite surname! Bring on the funny movie clips!

And if you, like us, have "gringo" names or, worse yet, a spouse with ONLY ONE given name, Lord help you when people try to enter your name into a computerized form down here. Most programs seem to require a second surname, and many also request a second given name. Thus our son ends up having to use his middle name, which he very much dislikes.

As with English names (hyphenated family names, for example), there are modern-day variations on naming practices in Spanish. In Spain, for example, the traditional order of surnames can be reversed under current gender equity laws, so that children use the mother's surname first, followed by the father's. There also seem to increasingly be more women who do not use their husband's names. Maybe they established themselves professionally before marriage, or they hold professional licenses in their maiden names.

One final confusion I'd note is that, in writing, people often abbreviate names, whether given names or surnames. Thus, "María" becomes "Ma" and "Agustín" become "Ag." It might be worthwhile to familiarize yourself with a few of the more common abbreviations.

I eagerly look forward to your teaching me more, or correcting my errors!!!! Thanks!

Have fun!

Saludos,

Dianne, Diana, or Di

Three Years in Mexico with a Junior High School Student

2011-06-30T19:16:00.001-06:00

We moved here three years ago. Today our son graduated from secundaria/junior high/middle school. He has gained enormously by living here, as have we.

When we moved here our son didn't speak much Spanish; now he pretty much passes for Mazatleco if Mom and Dad aren't around. Bilingualism is way better than speaking only one tongue, for sure. After 3 years our 15 year old is not yet grammatically perfect in Spanish, but then, he isn't really in English, either :) Key for me is he is now extremely comfortable speaking Spanish or English, one on one, in a group, public speaking, in a formal meeting with adults. He can lead his peers, he can motivate, he can tell jokes and stories and crack people up, in both languages. Three years well invested, and at least three more to go.

When we left the US, our son's mind was on our neighborhood, city and maybe the state in which we lived. He didn't think about much beyond that in the world, and he didn't like languages or cultures. He was a science, history and math guy. Now, three years on, he knows what it's like to live as a minority member of society. He has gained confidence making new friends, going into new situations and figuring out how to get along. Not much intimidates him.

He now loves languages and thinks he's good at learning them, anxious to try out Italian and French. He's gone from wanting to see movies dubbed into English to wanting to see movies in their original language, with subtitles if needed. He gets that the original provides the most honest portrayal and feeling. He is keenly interested in international affairs, environmental concerns. He can recite to you UN resolutions and the rights of women, children and people worldwide. He still loves history, and likes science and math. He talks of going to university in, well, South America, Italy... he now sees that there is a whole world out there. This is the primary reason we moved here: to provide him a broader worldview, and I thank goodness that he has done such a terrific job in this regard.

As our son graduates to high school (or preparatoria), he looks forward to a new adventure in a larger school with only a few of his current classmates. Being in a small private school now, there is a bit of a reshuffling as students decide where to study for the next three years. His graduating class of about forty will be spread out across various schools in town, breaking up this close knit bunch of kids who entered and experienced the hardest years of adolescence together. This is in sharp contrast to the normal trek in the United States, of elementary schools merging into middle schools and middle schools merging into high schools, where groups of friends remain intact and take on new friends. With this new school, he will enter as a Spanish speaker and a bit of a "local." There will be close to 275 kids in his grade, so the huge size increase may be the biggest adaptation he has to make.

Before we moved, our son gave us strict instructions that he didn't want to live in Mexico like some "rich gringo." While of course the average wage in Mexico is much lower than that of the US, which he was speaking to, his eyes have been opened to just how rich the rich can be in a country like Mexico, where there are huge gaps between rich and "middle class." He is able to describe class differences, their customs and values. He has become a "blended culture" person in the sense that he now knows what he likes and dislikes, personally, about the various cultures with whom he has contact. He doesn't judge, knowing every worldview is "right," but he doesn't let himself get lost, either. I'm proud of him for that.

Thank you, Mazatlán. Thank you to his teachers, tutors, mentors, Scout leaders and friends.

And to you friends, many of whom we now love, too: best of luck in prepa! Remember to maintain these precious existing friendships!

Other posts on this blog about schools:
High Schools and Foreign Residents in Mazatlán
Inauguration of Soccer Season
Moving to Mexico (Mazatlán) with School Kids

Oh What a Night! • Día de la Música 2011

2011-06-12T16:50:00.001-06:00

Oh what a night! One of our favorite events all year, this year was fantastic as usual. The winning combination?

Five open-air stages with 20 bands performing throughout the night
A sixth open-air venue, this one where we could watch visual artists create
Perfect weather, including a gorgeous moon
Mazatlán's beautiful architecture and the ocean waves as a backdrop
The fun-loving, joyous, quick to laugh and dance-till-they-drop Mazatlecos
Enough of a crowd to feel the pulsating energy, yet uncrowded enough that you can find a good seat, a terrific view, and enjoy a good drink, cena or botanas...

I have not danced, sweated and laughed so much in a while. Thank you, Mazatlán! Below is my two-minute highlight of the evening. After you click "play" you can toggle to view in HD.

Twenty musical groups performed last evening between 7 pm and about 1 am. Those performing on Escenario Paseo Olas Altas (Banda y Tropical):

Ensamble de percusiones
Banda la Mazatleca
Grupo Fussion (my personal favorite of the evening)

Performing on the Escenario Machado:

Coro Guillermo Sarabia
Camerata Mazatlán
Pumcayo
The Sconek-T
Klezmerson

Performing on Calle Niños Heroes and Mariano Escobedo, the Escenario Rock y Tendencias:

Venus Rex Machina
Claussen
Carlitos Ojos Rojos
Los Insensatos
Dapuntobeat

Performing on Calle Venustiano Carranza, in front of the Art Museum (Música del Recuerdo):

Suncai Gitano (they were very good also)
Grupo Fussion (they performed on two stages)
La Negra, La Blanca y La Redonda
Zarzuela al Piano

On Calle Venus, entre Constitución y Sixto Osuna (Escenario Fusión), were:

Chadoma Social Club
The Lori Davidson Group
Radio 3
Belle et Fou Texas

Visual artists at A la Vuelta de Venus:

Carlos Olvera
Ster Aguirre
Dave Gamez
Hello Sobre
Iván Lizarraga
Rodolfo Loaiza
Iván Mayorquín
Nava One
Bacse
Mayk Silvas C.
Angelferd
Salomon Cusehr
Ferruco
Norte 23
Alex Knives
Julio Montero
Pablo Llamas
Crisarth
Paulina Rueda
El Dante
Roberto Vásquez
Braulio Armenta

Link to CULTURA's live recordings of Day of the Music 2011.

Link to our friend Nancy's blog entry on last night's events. She has some very nice quality video.

Turkish Cooking with a Mexican View

2011-06-07T16:35:00.002-06:00

In my last post I told you all how I fell in love with Turkey: her beauty, history, people and blend of cultures. Well, I also loved the food. Succulent, savory lamb, and roasted and raw vegetables in multiple combinations with every meal. I especially loved how the Turks prepared eggplant, or patlican (pronounced "patlijan").

So, I bought Greg a book called "Turkish Cookery," figuring his real gift would be that I'd try out some of the recipes. Today was my first try. I was of course worried. I've never cooked anything Turkish before. But man oh man oh man, was it good! At left is a glimpse of the meal we ate today on our Mexican terrace overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

The weather here in Mazatlán has been very hot and humid. We took a long sweaty walk along the malecón/boardwalk this morning, and I then spent a couple of hours gardening. So, a cool meal sounded best today. Cucumbers are in season here, so first on today's Turkish menu was cacik (pronounced jajik), yoghurt with cucumbers.

This dish is similar to Indian raita. I'd call it a cucumber-yoghurt salad, though my boys called it "cucumber soup." I guess it is sort of like a gazpacho. It was easy-peasy to make and I HIGHLY recommend it on a hot day!

Peel, thinly slice and chop 2 large cukes. Sprinkle them with a bit (1 teaspoon or so) of sea salt. Let them sit. Put 500 grams plain yoghurt in a bowl, and with a whisk whip in about 1 cup of water. Add to the yoghurt mixture the salted cucumbers along with a clove of crushed garlic. Stir, and garnish with chopped fresh mint and dill. You can also drizzle a bit of olive oil on top (I didn't and it still rocked). Be sure to chill this and eat it cold; the flavors really came forth after a couple of hours in the refrigerator. So refreshing!

The second dish I made was the one I was really craving: patlican salatasi, or eggplant salad. I ate this dish, or adaptations of this dish, quite a few times during my trip. Every time I'd ask the waiter, my meal mates or friends what the dish was called. Everytime they'd tell me "patlican," "eggplant." "Yes, I know it's eggplant. But what is the name of the dish?" No one seemed to know. The photo in the cookbook looked like the dish I was craving, but what would it taste like????

First step was to mix the juice of one lemon with 1/2 cup of olive oil.

Then, just like in Japan, this recipe required that I roast the whole eggplants over an open flame, till the inside becomes tender and the outer skin becomes charred, then hold under cold running water for a few seconds before peeling off the skin. In Japanese cooking I absolutely love eggplant roasted in this fashion, and my taste proves consistent for Turkish cooking as well, evidently. After peeling the roasted eggplants (I roasted 3 big ones), you put them in a bowl and mash them up with a fork. I also used two knives like pastry knives to make sure all the pulp was cut and easy to eat.

Into the mashed roasted eggplant I dumped the oil/lemon juice, added a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, and a couple of cloves of minced garlic (the garlic wasn't called for in the recipe, but hey, we love the stuff). I garnished the plate with sliced tomatoes (the recipe said to also garnish with onion, green pepper and olives), and we ate the roasted eggplant salad with French bread. Mmmmmm! Definitely a hit!

As long as I was roasting on top of the stove (too much work to start the grill, I guess, or maybe I just like that grill to be Greg's territory), I figured I might as well roast the shrimp we had for lunch as well. After grilling I drizzled these with a bit of sesame oil and a bit of homemade aioli.

What to serve all this in? While in Turkey I bought a few Kütahya bowls, underglazed and handpainted. You can see them in the photo at left, the bowls to the right of my Japanese plates. The Kütahya remind me of our Mexican Talavera, don't you think? In the same way as Talavera, Kütahya painting varies widely quality-wise (and price-wise!).

Here is a close-up of some of the food. Afiyet olsun!!! (Bon apetit!)

And here is a photo of one of the handsome men who lunched with me, a new convert to the joys of Turkish food :)

Turkey Trip: Istanbul and Capadoccia, May 2011

2011-05-28T12:02:00.068-06:00

It has been a lifelong dream of mine to travel to Turkey. The home of so many civilizations all in one place, the intersection of European and Asian cultures, the architecture, food, people, handicrafts. Highest on my list were visiting Aya Sofia in Istanbul, and hiking amongst the fairy chimneys of Capadoccia, which I'd first seen in National Geographic as a child.

As luck would have it, two of our Cultural Detective authors decided to conduct a facilitator certification workshop in Istanbul, sponsored by our professional association, SIETAR Europa. And I had the blessed privilege to facilitate the course. It was held in an absolutely beautiful venue called Cezayir, the former Italian trade union building, off Itsiklal Cadessi in Istanbul. We lunched each day in the garden restaurant, and had a view of the Marmara Sea and the Bosphorous that was incredible. The participant group was very talented, experienced, and diverse. We had a terrific time and I believe everyone learned a lot and improved their skills. Click the slideshow below if you'd like to see the Cultural Detective workshop participants and the venue, or keep reading below for more on the sights and sounds of Turkey.

And, fortunately for me, I had two free days in Istanbul before the training, a partial one after, and two full days to tour Capadoccia before returning home. In a place so rich with experiences to savor and places to visit, these five and a half days were only a meze/appetizer, but they were surely an awesomely good one!

I have so very many photos that I felt the best way to show them to you would be in the form of a few slide shows. I have set the slide shows to some traditional Turkish folk music. Please pour yourself a cup of chay/tea or Turkish coffee, or Capadoccian wine, and enjoy!

The first slideshow, below, includes photos of Istanbul:

Galata Tower
New Mosque
Spice Market/Egyptian Market
Train Station/Oriental Express
Rüstempasa Mosque
Süleyimanye Mosque
The Grand Bazaar
Basilica Cistern
Aya/Haggia Sofia
The Blue/Sultan Ahmet Mosque
Tünel
Itsiklal Street
Topkapi Palace and Harem
Turkish Handicraft Center
Istanbul Handicraft Center
Bosphorous Boat Cruise
Military Officer College
Maiden's Tower

My trip to Capadoccia included a hot air balloon ride over the region, extensive hiking, and a private tour by automobile that included an underground city and a gorgeous thermal hot spring. The Capadoccia/Kapadokya slide show is below:

Hot Air Balloon Tour
Göreme Open Air Museum, including Dark Church
Anatolia Cave Pension
Rose Valley
Red Valley
Love Valley
Pigeon Valley
Fairy Chimneys
Çevusin
Avanos
Kaymakli Underground City
Uchisar
Turasan Winery
National Rug Weaving Cooperative
Bayramhaci Hot Spring
Göreme Village

We of course live in the land of hand painted tile work, Mexico. With that existing love, it was quite easy for me to absolutely fall in love with the tile work in Turkey. OMG I saw UNBELIEVABLE tiles! Below is a slideshow of some of the tilework.

As you saw above in the Capadoccia slide show, I took a hot air balloon ride. It was an incredible experience. I will post a few videos here if you'd like to take a look. The first one is taking off in the balloon.

The second clip shows the pilot of our balloon as well as a shot of the fire shooting up into the balloon to take us higher. It was awfully warm when that torch was blowing!

The third one is a short clip of the people in our balloon. There were loads of large tour groups, and it seemed that anyone traveling alone or in pairs was kept aside and made into a "group" for the ride. Interestingly, we all ended up being women, and we were from all over: Japan, Singapore, UK and Mexico. We called ourselves the "beautiful girls' club." Take a look.

The fourth video clip is of our high-tech landing. The crew, these guys landing us, were all terrific fun. And it was just hysterical to watch them pulling and running, over hill and dale, getting pulled through trees, in their quest to land our balloon.

My final video clip is of me opening a petori kebap for dinner in Göreme with my tour guide and the waiter.

Please let me know what you think! It's always nice to know someone's is reading/looking.

Desfile Semana de la Moto 2011 / MotoWeek Parade

2011-05-02T23:25:00.003-06:00

This is our third Moto Week parade. It was much lower key than other years--fewer people, less organized. The parade lasted at least two hours. We LOVED it. Time to sit back in our chairs, sip a soda or beer, look out over the ocean and the incredible sky, and thank God that we are able to live in Mazatlán, amidst so many fun-loving people.

There are lots of photos in this album (130 or so). It's really fun. So, please, pour yourself a cup of something, sit back, and enjoy... Join us next year!

Travelogue Spring Break 2011, Day 12: Espinazo del Diablo/Devil's Backbone

2011-04-27T23:51:00.007-06:00

The road between Mazatlán and Durango (Highway 40) is called “Espinazo del Diablo”, or “Devil’s Backbone,” due to its steep incline, hairpin turns, and sheer drop offs. Originally this spring break trip we had intended to leave Mazatlán and go over the Devil’s Backbone through Durango to Zacatecas. It's only about 180 miles/300 km, not so far. But, it takes at least five hours, and some have even reported it taking ten hours! Many of our local friends convinced us that we should not do that because it was far too dangerous. Instead, our friends recommended we go around, through Guadalajara, making a big southern circle to get to Zacatecas. We followed advice and were happy we did. Our roundabout route enabled us to spend a few days in Guanajuato.

We intended to return the same route on the way home. Thanks to our friends’ advice, we were now scared about traveling over the reported 3800 curves of the Devil’s Backbone. But, who wants to retrace their steps? We wanted to see new territory, and we’d heard that the drive through the Sierras via Durango was gorgeous. Durango is a city fairly close to Mazatlán, with others being Culiacan or Guadalajara. There are not a lot of big cities nearby our home, and sometimes one craves a city.

What we found today was a gorgeous drive with a much-improved roadway, and some fortunately very responsible drivers. While I wouldn’t want to make this drive often, I would definitely make it again. Neither Greg nor I felt it any worse than the drive to Tahoe or down Cañada Road on the SF Peninsula (N CA), or Oak Creek Canyon in AZ where I grew up. It is, however, much much longer.

We left Durango about 9 am and arrived in Mazatlán about 3:00, with stops for breakfast and lunch on the way, as well as losing one hour to the time change. That means about a 5 hour drive from Durango to Mazatlán for us today. Over the curves we averaged 30 mph, but when we were stuck behind trucks or a line of cars we frequently progressed at 2 or 5 mph. It is definitely slow going!

The new portion of the road that is open is terrific—two lanes each way, flat and smooth, clearly marked. The scenery along the route is terrific, with some unusual rock formations and incredible vistas.

John Wayne’s ranch is along this route, as are a couple of national parks, some nature preserves, and several places to rent cabañas. Come summer I think it would be fun to go up there, rent a cabaña, and spend a few days sniffing the pine trees, hiking and mountain biking. It was wonderful to smell pine in the fresh air and to feel the nearly-freezing temperatures of the sunny morning. The highest point, we’ve been told, is 1890 meters/6200 feet, less than Flagstaff AZ where I grew up, and far less than Conifer CO where Danny grew up.

Once the new cuota ended the free road was two lane, with oncoming traffic. The actual “Espinazo del Diablo” or “Devil’s Backbone” of hairpin turns and steep drop offs is only a portion of the road between Durango and Mazatlán, a 2-3 hour portion depending on which big slow trucks you get behind and how kind they are to pull to the right when you want to pass. Greg and I felt it was not nearly as bad a drive as we had been led to believe. With the new highway, it should be great. There were guardrails in most of the places that needed guardrails, something others had mentioned as making this drive so dangerous. Our guess is the rails have been recently installed. The biggest danger is closer to the Mazatlán side, nearing Copala, where the road, at least today, was still two lane and had absolutely no shoulder. If you happen to be making a hairpin curve while some crazy person is passing in oncoming traffic, there is not much you can do. Fortunately, today we only had two small instances, both very manageable. So, as of now we’ve overcome our fear of the Devil’s Spine.

There were lots of cows and horses by the side of the road, free range, and we saw some turkeys as well. It was a very scenic drive. Unfortunately we also saw loads of roadside shrines, dedicated to people who had been killed in car accidents.

Along the way are many construction sites. Information on the signs varies, but a website for the project indicates that the new road is going to include 63 tunnels along with 8 bridges over 300 feet in length and an assortment of smaller bridges. Along the way there are many makeshift towns that seemed to have arisen so that the road/bridge workers can have somewhere to live. Please visit the website to get a better understanding of the engineering challenge in making this drive safer, quicker and easier.

The workers work in incredibly dangerous-looking conditions, with steep drop offs and no safety equipment from what we could see.

We had our last meal of this spring break holiday together in Villa Unión at Cuchupeta’s, a place we’ve long been planning to visit. We were not disappointed.

Travelogue Spring Break 2011, Day 11: Durango

2011-04-27T22:49:00.001-06:00

After a leisurely breakfast in the hotel and a rather unsavory check-out process, we left for Durango, arriving about 3:00. We found a great room with two double beds, a kitchenette and sofa for 350 pesos, right in El Centro Histórico—Hotel Durango. They also had really affordable cenas, breakfasts and room service, though we didn’t try any.

We took a walk around. The architecture was really pretty cool, and it was nice to know there is another fairly major city not so very far from home; will be much closer once the new highway opens.

The city was putting on free 45-minute trolley car tours. That means that some of these photos are taken through the glare of window glass, but they’ll give you an idea of what Durango looks like if you haven’t been there.

Tip: if you don’t like pizza with hot dogs on top and a crust made of pie crust, don’t eat at Coreleone's. If you like "distinctive" pizza, get right over there. It's on the gorgeous pedestrian street in the center of town.

Travelogue Spring Break 2011, Day 9, Domingo Pascuas: A lazy Sunday in Zacatecas

2011-04-25T21:12:00.001-06:00

After eight busy days, we promised the kids and ourselves that Easter Sunday would be very restful. We all agreed to sleep in until whenever and other than eating and maybe seeing a movie, we had no plans.

After we were all up and showered (around 1:00 pm), we ventured out to eat. On the way, Danny found something he just couldn't resist playing with and eventually buying. He found a Predator action figure (think Alien vs. Predator). I don't fully understand the excitement, but this thing has some interchangeable parts and Danny sees resell value in its future.

Until then, he can play with it...

None of wanted a fancy meal (last night was steak night), and we had read about Gorditas Doña Julia. All the great things we had heard were dead on. 10 or 12 pesos each, great choice of fillings and excellent quality.

The concept is simple: seat yourself, fill out the order form, thank the joven for bringing you the drinks, wait two more minutes and a big basket of Gorditas arrives. Find which ones are yours and dig in. Yummmm.

After that, we bought Danny some drawing supplies, traveled out to the "Centro De Plata" which was a bust (sort of open and more about selling than showing how things are made). Then we went to see the movie, The Adjustment Bureau which we all loved. After that, cab ride home, a stop for chocolate and back to the hotel room. Just the lazy day we all needed.

Still lovin' Zacatecas...

Travelogue Spring Break 2011, Day 10, Our last full day in Zacatecas

2011-04-25T21:04:00.008-06:00

Today, Monday, was our last full day in Zacatecas. We had plans to have Dianne, Danny and Mara do a craft project with a group of local residents, go to the University Science Museum, go on the Tirolesa (zip line), shop and eat.

How'd we do? Well, we showed up for craft time and there were so many little kids that all three in our group backed out. The museum is closed for renovation. hmmm - not a good start! We decided to head up to the zip line. It was a very windy day, especially on top of the hill. The Tirolesa is 840 meters long and is the longest in Latin American - or so they say. Three us us decided to go, with Dianne staying back to hold valuables and act as videographer. It was exhilarating and well worth the 150 pesos. Dianne shot mainly video, so we also purchased the pictures from the local photographer. Mara's parents will undoubtedly be a little shocked, but we call made it home in one piece.

We celebrated our success with a refresco and a quick trip the observatory, which is really a weather station with an awesome view. Then, we headed out to Viva Mexico - another great restaurant I had found out about on some foodie website. Man, was it great. Three of us had enchiladas (all different types) and one had Chile Mestizo (a stuffed pepper with incredible walnut sauce). I still cannot decide where I had the best enchiladas ever - Viva Mexico or Los Dorados de Villa. All I know is the best enchiladas ever are in Zacatecas.

After eating, we took a slow walk home. We proved once again that we are all great shoppers. We all bought some stuff for ourselves and for others. We then plopped down in a plaza to have an adult beverage and enjoy the passers-by. As an added bonus, we were entertained by folkloric dancers as part of the cultural festival. Those of under 20 were too tired and wanted to go home to text, chat and do whatever. Dianne and I enjoyed our quiet time and came home a couple of hours later to write blog entries.

I am on strike with Blogger. It is so frustrating to line up text and pictures that I am giving up. Below are self-explanatory pictures including one extra just to remind us we are in Mexico! (For those of you not in the know an E with a slash through it means no parking.)

Tomorrow we head for Durango (yes, a change of plans). Stay tuned...