It seems that we hear about more and more violence in this region of Mexico every week. We are aware and we try to be careful.

The lock you see on the RV Park gate came last week after a Calgary man was shot in the leg during an apparent burglary of their motorhome in a Mazatlan RV park.

Yesterday afternoon 2 Mexican Police Officers Were Killed  right outside another Mazatlan RV park while RVers huddled in their coaches and listened. Our park is miles away from either of the other incidents.

We are scheduled to head back north tomorrow and we will leave right on time. We are travelling with another couple and yes, we will pay attention. The irony is that normally when some one is moving on down the highway we offer them  “Safe Travels”.  Now, when we leave tomorrow morning we will offer those who are staying  longer “Safe Staying”

I hope the authorities get things sorted out down here and we both hope that we feel comfortable enough to come back this fall. To our fellow RVers where ever you may be out there, Let’s be Safe

Hopefully we will see you in November.

 Used to be when I was having kids fathers-to-be weren’t even invited to baby showers so when I heard I was invited to this one I wasn’t any where near excited. But then when I heard there would be Margaritas and food and some of the other guys from the park were going to be there I had second thoughts. The final part to the decision process was when we heard all about the baby shower for our about to be grandchild way back in Toronto.  I really did feel real bad that we had missed that one.

Yesterday afternoon we went over to Benji’s restaurant for a baby shower for Anita and Eli. They are expecting in about a month, a week after Jason & Elizabeth. There sure was a lot of people. I ran out of fingers and had to quit counting at about 85 people but they continued to pour in after that. Last estimate I heard was that about 250 people came to celebrate with the expectant parents.

Eli and friends had made up 16 gallons of Margaritas and what looked like hundreds of pounds of Ceviche and that was just the appetizers. Dinner came later.

There were lots of Eli and Anita’s family there, their friends from Stone Island (including a large group from Tres Amigos) and beyond.

Saturday was Don’s 65th birthday and his wife Barb organized a Suprise Birthday Party for him. Full credit to her, I think he was actually surprised.

The party was held at friends place in Mazatlan so once again it was everyone on the water taxi followed by everyone in the back of the little truck followed by “We’re Here.”

Bill & Carol, the hosts of the party are another story: They have been fulltiming  in their motorhome for the past couple of years while they travelled Mexico in the winter and then head back to Fort Langley, BC  for the summer.

This winter they bought the house you see here and have just completed the renos. So now they RV in Canada in the summer, and come home to their amazing Casa in Mazatlan for the winter.

We have actually met quite a few Gringos (that’s us) here over the past few months who live here part of, most of, or all of the year.  I’ve talked to some who invest $10,000 or less in a lot, $1000 in a bit of a structure, back their RV in and call it home.

We have met others who invested a few hundred thousand dollars in their property and then spent more than that on their renovations.

I think there are 3 major reasons you would consider moving to Mazatlan. It is truly an amazing town, especially once you get away from the Golden Zone. Number 2 would be the weather and last but certainly not least, the cost of living here would have to  be considered reasonable.

I guess we all have a story.

How do you know when it’s time to move?

That’s our Tres Amigos RV Park neighbor Bob you see in the picture. He’s packing his sewer hose in his left hand and part of his Bollo Ball game ( In Ontario we call that game Newfie Golf) in his right. And I think he wants to play.

I think that means it’s time we hit the road. I’m not playing any game involving a sewer hose with anybody.

 Ever!

Some of the Tres Amigos ladies including Marilyn, Peggy, Marjorie, Linda, Anna and Bonnie get together every week or so to spend a few hours painting together. They usually drive over to Goat Island and set up and create their masterpieces. Yesterday they had a couple of visitors. A couple of the local kids were watching the process with huge interest so our gals found some extra paper, paints and brushes and invited the young ladies to paint with them.

After this picture was taken the girls were sent home to their mothers get jabon Y agua (soap and water) and get their hands washed and off they went.

They returned in a few minutes, all cleaned up, and  in their best english said to our ladies “Thankyou“ 

Do the Tres Amigo ladies have a couple of new members?

Imagine  that once a month or so you open your front door and welcome absolutley everyone in. You show them around your home, and display your most beloved possessions. After you offer them hor dourves and their favorite wine or beers you sit down with them and discuss at length your home, your life, your art. Before they leave you make sure that you learn as much as possible about them, their homes and their art. I’m talking about the Mazatlan Art Walk in Old Mazatlan.

On the first Friday of each month a couple of dozen artists open their homes or businesses  for the evening and welcome hundreds of guests. There is something for everyone. If the art you see doesn’t blow you away the architecture and design of the buildings will in an instant. The event is held in Old Town Mazatlan so while some of the buildings are only a few years old most are are more like 150 to 200 years old. All, old, new and in between, are done to the nines.

And after the sun goes down and the art walk closes for another month the city really comes alive as the clubs and restaurants welcome their evening party crowd. At about 10:30 the bands begin to play and the party kicks in to high gear.

By then Mar and I are enjoying a nightcap somewhere, but we are told the party goes til dawn. The Mexican people do love to enjoy.

For us the best part is that when we come back this fall we get to enjoy this city even longer.

Good thing too. It’s starting to get really warm, no, hot down here. It’s time to move on.

We will be travelling out of Mexico with friends and fellow Ontario travellers Bob & Marjory. We sat down on Wednesday evening to have planning meeting, then sat down yesterday to replan the plan. Our current plan is we will head south through Tepic (Tepeek), then Guadalajara, across interior Mexico coming out at Reynosa, in the McAllen Texas area, before zipping across the USA and then home. I’d show you what the map looks like except I can’t quite figure out how to post it here. 

 We already looking forward to our return to Tres Amigos next fall. We have met some great folk and have made even more good friends. On the other hand, we are looking forward to getting back to Ontario to reconnect with our family and our Ontario friends. I’m even looking forward to going back to work for the summer.

You gotta love this life style.

I got this video as a forward this morning and thought it was worth passing on. Sorry if you’ve seen it before.

Enjoy

Last night we went in to Mazatlan to the Zona Dorado (Golden Zone) for a great dinner. While we were waiting for our taxi to bring us back to the Embarcedero I stepped into a convenience store next door and snapped this picture.

Keep in mind, compared to what you can buy liquor for down here these are not at all good prices for here. But compared to Canada they are incredible.

For example, on the second shelf in this store, the 26 of Bacardi White is 130 pesos. That works out to roughly $11.

I don’t remember LCBO pricing exactly but can you buy one for less than $30 in Canada?

For dinner we each had a salad, a delicious rack of ribs with a baked potato for 160 pesos for both meals. The bucket of beer (6 Pacifico) added another 60 pesos.  Total with tip, 250 pesos, about 20 bucks Canadian

As we prepare to move north I am beginning to appreciate what we have here. We are certainly going to miss it.

Aw…Damn. Too Late! I guess it doesn’t matter anymore.

I’ve been working on growing out my hair for close to a year now, working hard to get that perfect ”beach bum look.”  So yesterday the dogs and I went  for one last haircut before we leave Mazatlan. It turned out pretty good for the dogs, but for me, not so much. I was trying with all my best spanish to get her to cut  “poquito” (a little) off.

Maybe I better buy that Rosetta Stone I was talking about after all.

Ah well, it’s just hair. And while we were waiting for the dogs Mar and I explored a whole new area of Mazatlan.

Now how’s that for a view?