2025, Art, Gatherings, Travel, Uncategorized

Mazatlán!

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Today’s post is from Krista.

I’ve traveled internationally more in the past year than ever before in my life. I’m not used to it. I get anxious over airports and flying, but I’m getting better at it.

My friends, Jim and Nancy, invited me to join them for a week in Mazatlan. They extended the invitation last fall. I’ve been trying to get some of my older friends to go places with me since I retired, but it’s been like herding cats, so when Jim and Nancy invited me I accepted immediately.

I arrived at Mazatlan on Saturday afternoon. Jim provided detailed instructions, and I had them in hand, for getting through the airport, getting a taxi, and getting to their place. I was able to give the driver the address in Centro Historico in Spanish. After an exciting cab ride through the city, Jim and Nancy met me at the gate of Villa Serena. It’s a block of apartments with a maze of tiled outdoor hallways, pools, birds and trees. Their apartment was on the third floor and had more windows, fresh air, and natural light than most. They told me it was the biggest apartment in the place. I had my own room and a shared bathroom.

There were hummingbirds and orioles at a feeder hanging outside the windows. The red tiled areas in front of their white washed apartment were open to blue sky, and the tops of palm trees. It was colorful and lovely. There was a view of a central courtyard in front of a large, golden cathedral. There were bells chiming frequently throughout the day, often on the quarter hour, especially on Sunday. No one can figure out the pattern for the chiming, or the reason.

One evening, just after sunset, there was a tiny gecko on the window screen. It was only about an inch and a half long. It charmed me to my toes.

Jim and Nancy are friendly, outgoing people. They have lots of friends there. Most of the people I met were from Mexico, followed by British Columbia. There was one couple from Prince Edward Island. I didn’t meet any other Minnesotans. Some of the people who stay at Villa Serena gather for a daily happy hour. Jim and Nancy attend it sometimes, but not while I was there. I met lots of people and learned lots of card or dice games, including a fun game called Mexican Train.

We walked a lot. We walked to the Mercado several times. Nancy bought lots of fresh food there: fruits, veggies, spices, and some large pieces of red snapper. I was fascinated by all the things there were to see, including a pig head with eyes.

We walked a few miles to a beach called Stone Island one day and spent the day there. It was lovely. There were stray dogs who were friendly but so thin. It wasn’t hard to give some of my quesadilla con pollo to a sweet dog with warm brown eyes who put her chin on my lap. I wanted to bring her home with me. I looked for sand dollars but didn’t find any. Some people swam in the ocean. I didn’t swim, but I did wade a little. I identified some birds, including an American oystercatcher, an orchard oriole, and a cinnamon hummingbird.

Nancy and I walked to the “Malecon” one day and just walked along the beach. I was struck by the persistence and determination of the many people who approached us asking if we wanted refrigerator magnets or sunglasses or blankets or ball caps with visors. A young girl selling pistachios said “Pleeease?” We gave a little boy some pesos but didn’t take the candy he offered. He ran away calling, “Mama! Mama!” I learned to say, “No, gracias,” and keep walking, even though the disparity was hurting my heart.

They’re getting ready for Carnaval there. There were huge, colorful, papier-mâché statues on the Malecon. Nancy took my picture with my arm around a bronze statue of John Lennon, the other three lined up behind me. I don’t think the likenesses were very good, but it was a fun memento of the trip.

We went for gelato in the evenings. It was really beautiful walking through the squares at night. There was music and light everywhere. The gelato was delicious!

There was a lot of noise, all night, every night. There was music, people laughing and singing, dogs barking, horns honking, and roosters crowing. It took three nights before I could sleep through it.

I brought my mandolin along, packed tightly in my big checked bag, so Jim and Nancy and I played music a few times. One day we took our instruments and walked a mile or so to a friend’s apartment. He played fiddle and we had a great time playing music together.

On Friday late afternoon, we began hearing the explosions of fireworks. It was very close and loud. Jim said it was probably coming from the central square area in front of the cathedral (an area that we passed through often). There was still daylight so we couldn’t really see the fireworks, but we could certainly hear them. That was followed by some up-tempo music, then a very loud, very long and colorful parade. Nancy thought maybe they had chosen the princess for Carnaval, but we really didn’t know for sure. The festivities lasted two or three hours.

We played Yahtzee every afternoon, then played music, then went out for gelato. They told me they weren’t very exciting and had a routine they followed. It was fine for me. I’m just glad to go somewhere like that. I liked that we were in the central historic district. I got a big dose of culture, language, music, and art, and I enjoyed it very much.


What activities do you enjoy with your friends? Ever played Mexican Train? Where in Mexico would you want to visit?

34 thoughts on “Mazatlán!”

  1. Sounds like a wonderful trip! After I graduated from high school, I spent two months living with a family in Culiacan (on the west coast, south of Mazatlan). The two teenage daughters of the family had lived with us the summer before so now it was my turn. During this time I also got to visit Mazatlan, where I got my first embroidered shirt at a big open-air market. I wore this shirt for years until it literally fell apart!

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    1. When I first arrived, I saw the road signs for Culiacan from the window of my very fast-moving taxi. Jim told me later that the Sinoloa drug cartel has moved its operations from Mazatlan to Culiacan, and that it’s dangerous to go there.

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  2. When I was a Grade 11 student I spent a month in Saltillo, Mexico attending a Spanish language school. I and three high school classmates lived with Saltillo family. Many of the other students were from Arksnsas. We travelled to Mexico with a Spanish teacher from Adrian, MN. He drove us there in a truck formerly used by the railroad that could be driven on the tracks and could go as fast forward as it went backwards. It was a bumpy ride.

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  3. What a wonderful trip, Krista! So glad you got to do the music… What instruments do Jim and Nancy play?

    We got to spend a week in Puerto Morelos, a little south of Cancun, at her sister’s time share. There was small festival in the town square that week. We got to go snorkeling, and went shopping in a nearby town Playa del Carmen. I would go back there. Or anywhere that other people are going – some friends go regularly to other vacation spots – I’d want a guide like you had.

    We used to play Mexican Train regularly – it’s a lot of fun. Husband and I each take two spots, as if there are 4 players – it’s more interesting that way than just two.
    Yahtze is fun, too.

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  4. I’ve been to Mexico 4 times: Mexico City, Monterey, Cancun, and Ixtapa. While I mostly enjoyed my visits, I’m not a hot-weather-beach person, so I don’t care to go back to an ocean resort town. Mexico City was HUGE, smoggy (1978) and depressing that so many people were truly poor (compared to what we call poor in the US.) All I remember of Monterey (1969?) was the lush green mountains, camping in the parking lot of an enclosed motel, and buying souvenirs at a local market. I still have the chess set I bought.

    Two of the best meals I’ve ever eaten were in Cancun. Sea bass Vera Cruz and a wood-fired roast chicken.

    But I always feel out of place and noticed as a “rich American” and don’t enjoy dealing with the panhandlers and the vendors who are always trying to sell you . . . anything and everything. Oh well.

    My barber goes to Mazatlan every winter for golf. Often, other golf buddies and friends go with him, but he’s scaled things down in the past 10 years. Used to be 12 or so players and wives, now maybe 3-4 couples if even that many.

    Glad you enjoyed the trip, Krista, and good for you for encouraging friends to travel with you.

    Chris in Owatonna

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  5. It was so annoying and upsetting to walk around in Saltillo and get pinched and fondled by random men. It happened even when we were walking in a group of students.

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      1. Rise and Shine, Baboons,

        I have been to several border towns, as well as Cancun. A lot of the behavior already mentioned is a downside. However, Jamaica was not any better. The sun and sand are the big draws. Sitting on the beaching, picking up sea shells and rocks, as well as people-watching was fun and relaxing. I was amazed at a Cancun resort at how much alcohol people can put away at the seaside tiki bars. I do not enjoy lots of alcohol, and I sure do not enjoy being around drunks, of which there were MANY. So we steered away from that scene. There was a lot to do other than sitting there.

        Places to visit: I have two big ones on my bucket list. I want to return to Ireland to find the house my Great great Grandfather left during the potato famine. The Italian/Tuscan resort I post the link to last week is the other one. I also want to return to Savannah.

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        1. Probably because Kino is not a well known tourist destination, there are virtually no street or beach vendors to accost you. You’ll come across an occasional group of Seri Indian women toting a selection of their beautiful woven baskets. They’d often stop by Bill and Charlotte’s house because she is a huge fan of their work and had purchased quite a few of their wares. But they were pretty shy and not aggressively pushing for a sale.

          There are a fair amount of malnourished cats and dogs running loose everywhere, though. All pretty laid back and friendly, but it pained me to see them and know that they weren’t well taken care of.

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        3. Chuck and his wife Nancy, on their one and only visit to Kino, mistakenly ventured into Old Kino on their way to Mike and Ann’s house. Old Kino is a rather ramshackle town of unpaved roads, an odd assortment of “rustic” shops, and more or less dilapidated shacks. After realizing their mistake, they found the road to New Kino a few miles down the road. When they arrived at Mike and Ann’s house, Chuck, a quiet, reticent man, drew a sigh of relief and said: “Phew, I’m glad we got out of there. I was beginning to feel like an alligator in a shoe factory.”

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  6. I would like to go see the Mayan ruins. When I was in Mexico at the school, we took a side trip to Mexico City and Tenochtlitan, where the Aztec pyramids are. That was fascinating, as was the National museum.

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  8. It looks beautiful there. I’ve never thought about visiting Mexico.

    In other news, working an event onstage today. They have coffee out front. I’m on my second LARGE cup. Getting a headache. Learning about myself, haha.

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    2. Yes! We walked to a small ice cream shop almost every night and had gelato. It was right across the little cobblestone street from the photo (above) of the mosaic of dragon(s). There were different flavors every night, and they were delicious. It was so nice to stroll around in the evenings and carry a yummy gelato.

      You arranged the photos perfectly, Renee!

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  11. The dad of the family that I lived with was way way high up in Fanta management. I drank a lot of orange pop that two months. Actually rather refreshing in the heat of Mexico.

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    1. Not that you drank it in a Fanta family, but isn’t there a competing brand from the giant Mexican food conglomerate, Bimbo? A guy I shared an apartment with back in 1972 talked about how, while on the train in Mexico when he was in college, He would order a drink by saying, “Traigame un Bimbo” (bring me a bimbo), and laughing to himself.

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  13. i have a friend who lives in central mexico who i hope to visit and hike with in the next year
    had s hike planned when i broke my leg
    no i need to rehab so i can handle climb and stamina

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