FRIDAY

. . . . . . . I finished another book today so I stopped by the library and picked up another Lee Childs novel.. . . . . .Except for that the day was a carbon copy of yesterday. A different restaurant but the food was just as good. Carbon copy for the weather too, of course; it seldom changes around here. Summer all year round. For me. Not necessarily for the locals. They even bundle up their dogs.

 It was about 73 degrees the day I took this picture. I guess they need the blanket when they are used to 125 degrees in the summer time. And believe it or not the rich folks from Mexico City come here in the summer to enjoy the cool ocean breeze. And return in the winter to escape the cold.

 The dark building in the center of the picture is where Natalia works. I was shooting directly into the sun so the shadows came out very dark.

 Swinging the camera to the left of the previous shot is a scene of Stone Island. I will get over there one day or two before I leave in March. The food is good and no real crowds.

The entrance to the Theatre in Old Town. Ahead under the trees is a nice city park area. Hotel row too, for that matter.

THURSDAY

. . . . . . . .Oliva [the cleaning lady] and her daughter arrived about 9AM so I didn't stick around too long after that. I spent all day sitting on various park benches watching people and reading my book. I had a nice lunch and afterward I bought a Spanish language comic book. I am going to use that and a dictionary to practice reading Spanish. It might help me learn how to speak  the language too. I watched a guy on a bicycle almost get creamed by a car that pulled out in front of him yesterday, he yelled 'Why oh' at the driver. I asked Natalia what that meant and she said 'stupid or bastard, something like that'. I caught on to that pretty quick. Of course that sort of thing is seldom used in everyday conversation so I am sure I will forget it rather quickly.

This is looking South from Gold Zone toward Old Town, four miles away.

This stuff is expensive in Gold Zone, that's a comma after the 3. Priced in pesos of course.

Three shots of Old Town graffiti, actually Old Town, even all of Mazatlan is really quite free of this stuff. I think the police frown on it and you might just disappear for awhile if you get caught.

WEDNESDAY

.. . . . . . . Another quiet day, just the way I like them.....There was a nice breeze bringing the comfort level down to room temperature at ocean side. I had lunch at Central Market again today, got smart and made no effort to eat it all. The big birds I sent pictures of earlier finished it up for me. I was back at the house by 4PM. Probably walked only two miles today.

This is I would guess the busiest intersection in the Gold Zone. This view looks north on the Malicon.

Now we are looking east. The Golden Arches is my destination when walking to Gold Zone.

Now south east, there is a lot of traffic here, I had to wait a while to get it to look this empty.

Now we have the camera aimed south, three miles away is where Natalia lives. I am standing on the campus of a very nice hotel when taking these pictures. I have been tempted to go inside at times and order lunch and explore, so far that has not happened.

TUESDAY

. . . . . Today I took the long way around to get to Old Town. I walked the Malicon south from Natalia's house. It is a little less than two miles but it stays right on the ocean all of the way. I stopped for lunch before leaving the beach area and read for an hour and a half. I ordered a bottle of water rather than the usual Coke. I am making an effort to get away from all of that sugar. Natalia was up at 5am this morning and outside walking. she mentioned that she felt several huge raindrops on her head but it never turned into anything serious. It was hot and muggy when I got up at 8am but things cooled down by noon.

On the walk toward Gold Zone we find a nice looking theatre right on the main street [Malicon]

Across the street on the corner of the intersection stand this statue, Dedicated to the fishermen I think.

A little lady enjoying a very large and empty beach.

A couple of swimmers or soakers. The warning flags were out so few folks ventured near the water.

MONDAY

. . . . . . . . .I took only half of a 'water pill' this morning and it did not have much effect so I left the house shortly after I got my laundry completed and put away. I finished my second Lee Childs Mystery and stopped by the library after lunch and picked up number three. At the house I am only reading Poe from my nook reader, that is over 1270 pages and not an easy read. I can see why it used to be required reading in school. And still should be. My guess is that the average C student would have no idea what is going on if he attempted to wade through it. I had a too large Chicken salad for lunch. So much so that I ended up bringing half of the chicken pieces home for a bed time snack.

The windows overlooking Natalia's patio

 

The man she hired to do the work doing the work.

 

 Final result. There is one higher window not in the pictures through which the neighbor was complaining to the workman during his construction project.

This critter was in the gutter outside the Library, he was about 5 inches long while walking on dozens of legs and thicker than two of my fingers. At the time I took the picture he did not appear to be in the best of moods.

SUNDAY

. . . . . . .Natalia was busy cooking us breakfast this morning when the phone rang. Her daughter {Natalia} invited her over to her house for breakfast. It was just a couple of minutes after the call that she told me my breakfast was on the table but she was leaving for her daughters house. . . . . The breakfast was very good and she was leaving about the time I finished it. . . . . .I had taken another furosemide earlier so I stayed around the house until noon then left with my book. I did a lot of reading again, the sun was bright through a thin cloud cover but I only needed a T-shirt. I had a chicken salad for lunch and wandered home again arriving about 5 pm. Natalia was on the patio visiting with two lady friends I had met last year. There were pots and pans all around the kitchen, Natalia had been cooking when they arrived. Just another fine day in Mazatlan. . . . .Last night when she got home she told me she had been to a very small party of friends one of whom brought a friend of his. The mans name was Carlos Santana, a famous guitar player. I had to admit that I did not recognise the name but she said he has been a music star for years in the US. She was thrilled to have met him.

My favorite scene of Mazatlan, Gold Zone to the left and nearing Old Town going right. 

The orange sign to the right is above a restaurant I frequent at the south end of the Malicon.

Appears to be beach towels hanging to dry. This scene is close to the beach.

Another friendly little critter I discovered in my travels.

SATURDAY

. . . . . . . . Natalia was out early this morning, she told me the worker was arriving to finish working on the wall sealing off the neighbors windows. I had taken a Furosemide pill about 6am and was not about to leave before that wore off. I have been having a little trouble with swollen feet and bloated stomach so I hope that might help. I left shortly after the worker gathered up his stuff and checked out. I noticed that the neighbor lady was talking to him through a higher window than the two he had blocked. He asked me to have Natalia phone him when she got in. I left a note for her. . . .  It was another wonderful day to sit in the shade and read. I did get away with ordering a smaller lunch this afternoon and I expect to have a small bowl of cereal this evening with my bed time pills. There were a few small clouds drifting by, nothing to worry about, I hope.

 I probably took more pictures of these birds than were necessary but I thought it was interesting the way they took ownership of these holes in the wall.

This is the bar of a restaurant I visited last week. It appears to be an actual dug out canoe from 150  years ago, the other end of it extends through the wall in back. If you turn the corner too quickly when making a journey to the rest room you will crash into it.

EIGHTY AND COUNTING

. . . . . . . Natalia had breakfast all ready on the table when I got up this morning. It was a Birthday present from her. She also gave me a fancy bookmark she had made, she knows very well it is going to get a lot of use! Because of her cooking she was a bit late leaving for work so I took it upon myself to clean up the kitchen. A cement mason came by about 9:30, Natalia is raising her Patio wall another four feet so the neighbors can no longer look down on her patio. Because the property line is the neighbors wall too she has actually sealed off two of their windows. No more fresh air for them. I reminded her that the neighbors will not be pleased. Her answer was, "They are going to hate me forever." I left the house in the hands of the worker and walked to the park to sit and read my Birthday away. I stopped by Macaw's for a cold beer and finished my book. I then ordered lunch and while the order was being filled I walked across the street and checked out another Lee Child mystery. I read for another hour while finishing lunch. I strolled home, arriving about 4PM. The work on the wall was finished, I will post pictures one day soon. Natalia told me she would see me in the morning, I guess she has a hot date since it is Friday and the work week is over.

The City Library, nice campus. I have another picture but it is still in the camera evidently.

This wall is used to keep the hill side from washing away into the city below. It is a very narrow street and the buses come through here much faster than is safe. It is a one way street, I'm sure that is a life saver.

At the high point of the hill the steps will be found. It is a short cut to the properties above.

Many stones have fallen or have been removed from the wall, now the birds have taken over and used them as living apartments. The wall must be close to twenty feet high at this point. 

THURSDAY

. . . . . . Olivia, [Natalia's weekly house keeper] arrived five minutes after Natalia left this morning, 8:30, so I quickly dressed, grabbed a breakfast bar that I keep handy for such occasions and left the house to start my day. Olivia brought her older teen age daughter along so I expected they would not be too long. Natalia's place is not really large. I walked to Old Town, stopping twice to sit in the shade and enjoy my new Lee Child adventure. By ten-thirty I felt the breakfast bar was letting me down so I stepped over to a little Pizza place and ordered a piece of pizza. The meat tasted like it was manufactured by Oscar Meyer, I was not pleased. They also served along with that a Mexican Cola that may have been fine but it will take some getting used to. After the Pizza and more reading I decided to stop by the bank to stock up on Pesos before trudging back to the house and making out a little grocery list.  I arrived home at noon -thirty and discovered they were still there and the bathroom door was shut. That Pizza was working on my lower intestine and I felt the need to release the pressure. I pointed at the bathroom door and said "Olivia?" to the girl. She looked at me and said, "Si". So I waited and waited, feeling worse by the minute. Eight or ten minutes later Olivia walked in the front door! I then pointed at the bathroom door and asked, "OK?" The girl looked at me and said "Si". I could have thrown a rock at her. . . . .  .By the time I got out of their they had made my bed and were back in the kitchen doing God knows what. I left. I walked to the market for some Granola, bananas and those large red raisins I like. The first time I bought raisins there [two weeks ago] the lady charged me 100 Pesos for 2.2 pounds. That is close to $3.76 American per pound. I complained but paid it. Today the man waited on me and charged me 72 Pesos for the same amount. You have to watch 'em around here, Gringo's are live targets. Natalia has laughed many times at my adventures. She said at one time that the same thing happens to her if she is not paying attention.

I think is was 1887 that the first donkey powered public transportation was put in place in Mazatlan.
This is a short section of the original track and ties. Located outside the Museum.

A much better view of Macaws Bistro that caterer's to us Gringos. The bar tenders name is Caesar.

 Poor Kitty, I should have taken another picture because he really does have two pretty eyes.

I couldn't not take this picture, the little doggy is following along very safely but dragging his leash.

 

 

WEDNESDAY

. . . . . . . I have been wandering around all day thinking it was Tuesday, must be too  much sunshine, getting to my brain. After breakfast I stopped by the Membership Library and paid them for another years membership, about $12.00, even though I only use it for two months. I found half a dozen more Lee Child Mysteries I have not yet read so I checked out one of them and walked to the south end of the city for lunch and exercise. Again I ordered a full meal and ate it all, too much food. I have to find a way to control myself! The new book is about one third finished and I arrived back at the house about 4:45.

My attempt at Photo Art, It looked good when I took the picture but something is missing now. Perhaps my mood has changed.

The statue outside the Main Church in Old Town and I would guess the larges church in the city.

This guy was yelling at me to get off his sidewalk, he was on top of the third floor. He had a very large voice!

This little guy just sat in his own house and bothered no one.

TUESDAY

.   .   .   .   .The Gold Zone must be closer than I thought because I walked home from McDonalds in only one hour today. In years past I figured it was at least four miles and reported it as such. No chance. I don't walk four miles per hour. Perhaps one day when Natalia and I go somewhere in her car I will ask her to check it........On the walk outward this morning I stopped for lunch and ate way too much, that was not what I intended but the restaurant offered too much food for the price and I was unable [no surprise] to stop myself. After lunch I continued the walk along the Mali- con with the beach to my left and four lanes of traffic to my right. I got as far as McDonald's before stopping for a coke and while I was there I finished my Lee Childs book. It has been years since I have read fiction, except for the classics, but Childs has a great character named Reacher who bums around the country getting into all kinds of mischief. Natalia has loaned me two of her books and I have finished both of them. I will stop by the Membership Library tomorrow to renew my membership from last year and see if they have any other Lee Child productions.

 A few blocks West of Old town the Malicon ends. This statue stands in the middle of the previously four lane boulevard in honor of the deer of the area. I believe there is a connection between the word Mazatlan and deer. The antenna's on top of the hill explain why Natalia gets perfect reception with no antenna.  Her house is only a few hundred yards away.

This picture, believe it or not, represents the third time in three days, about 11am, that I have passed by this same spot and taken a picture of this man. I was convinced he lived on that spot but later journeys along that way produced no sign of him.

MONDAY

. . . . . . .Seattle won! I found an opportunity to pay $20 US and watch the last quarter on my puter but I am too cheap. Something tells me that would have been an exciting time! Perhaps I can find the same site for the Super Bowl, for the whole game I will pay the money.. . . . .  .Today was walking and reading. And lunch too, of course. . . . . I got a late start because I spent the morning getting my laundry caught up. It was about 11 AM when I left the house for my daily constitution. . . .  . I have a few more pictures to share:

This is the park two blocks from Natalia's house. Looking East. A few small clouds bouncing along in the background.

I enjoyed lunch here yesterday, directly behind me as I take the picture is the ocean.

I get surprises like this two or three times a week. The vehicles are seldom parked and I don't see them early enough to get good pictures as they go past.

Meet Ramon, he is the security at the corner pawn shop between the house and the park. He speaks no English but we wave to each other each time I pass. This is the third year this has been going on.

SUNDAY

................I got a late start this morning, Natalia had prepared a wonderful Mexican breakfast for us and after the kitchen was cleaned up it was almost 11AM. She said she was ready for a nap and I was ready to get some exercise. I didn't do anything exciting, sat in the shade even though there was a thin cloud layer overhead to read and 'people watch'. I had a chicken salad at a quit little place off the sidewalk inside a large building; that was about 2PM, then continued exploring. I had to throw out two rechargeable batteries that just refused to hold a charge any longer so I stopped by a camera store and bought four more. The ones I threw out were well over five years old, I expect these will last as long. Made by Kodak, at least they have the Kodak marker on them, probably made in China. Most stuff is anymore.

Here are pictures of some little street urchins I have spoken to on my travels around town.