FRIDAY

     My Mouse decided to die, I guess it fell to the floor one time too many. I had to walk only about a mile to buy a replacement and after a fashion I got it to work. I had lunch in Old Town and bought a bag of oranges on the way back to the house. I was back early today and spent most of the afternoon reading.

 

This petroglyph is found near the visitor center which you saw a photo of yesterday.

After passing through the visitor center you find this wide path leading to the beach.

This scene is looking north toward the spot where the festivities will take place. Behind the camera is the beach itself and the many rocks with the rock carvings. I don't know if we arrived at high or low tide but the rocks look like they have suffered through many years of wave action.

THURSDAY

    I was up and going at 6:15 this morning. Had a bowl of cereal and made an egg sandwich for my 'outing' today. Natalia had me at the pre-arranged bus stop at 7:45 and I was on it when it left at 8:10. We went about 35 miles north of MZT to the Tropic of Cancer where we turned off the highway and drove a dirt road several miles to the beach. Today I will begin a series of pictures of what I saw and did for several hours before arriving back at the house about 3PM. Olivia was here still doing her housework when I arrived so I did not stay long, I gathered up my book and walked to the park and read for an hour or so. I am pooped, it was a long day.

This gives you an idea of the road to the site, Nice bus, almost new, nice ride.

This is the rest room before the nice facilities pictures below were put into service

This 236,000 acres have been set aside as a national animal refuge and historicsl site. That is the reason for the upgrade, I imagine.

 

These rock carvings are right at the edge of the incoming waves from the ocean. I suppose that weather and tides have erased more of them than we will ever be able to see. More tomorrow.

 

WEDNESDAY

          This was a busy day, I brought it on myself though. I walked to Loony Bean coffee shop because I was told I could get tickets to the Equinox festivities there. The three girls behind the counter told me they don't sell tickets to anything. I then walked back to Central Market and got some oranges and eggs to replenish the refrigerator. After delivering them to the house I walked to Dominoes Pizza and had a sandwich, I would guess at least two miles North on the Malecon. I was in there for over an hour reading my book. I carry a book everywhere I go around here. After lunch I continued my walk North to the State Tourist office and asked the young man there about tickets. He made a few phone calls and informed me that the people in charge of that trip would be at Loony Bean at 4PM. By this time I was tired enough to catch a bus back to the Centro area then walked across town to Loony Bean. On the way I stopped in a little park and read for an hour and a half. When I arrived at Loony Bean the ladies were there with the tickets. I purchased one for 225 Pesos and have to arrive at a particular bus stop at 7:45 in the morning. That is before breakfast, you know. On the way back to the house I stopped for an ice cream and read for almost an hour while there. I arrived home at 5PM.

I hope this is not a repeat picture......it is looking at the south end of the Malecon. Loony Bean is in the buildings you see at the left end of the picture.

I had to post this for the humor..after all, hot water and Hi-Fi! Can you beat that?

This is another picture of the library I visit two or three times a week. The books in the case are for sale for 20 pesos. I buy them then put them back on the shelf after I've finished them.

TUESDAY

Another great day in sunny Mexico! I walked to the museum today to follow up on the possible bus trip to the archaeological site this Thursday but was not available to find out anything. Nancy Morgan, the lady who used to live in Castle Rock told me that her Daughter bought her tickets at the Loony Bean snack shack so I will stop by there tomorrow and see if tickets are still available. Film at eleven.

The word mazatlan means the land of the deer [I hope that is correct] and right in the middle of the Malecon there is this statue honoring the deer of the area. Cars must drive around it, of course.

I found this little guy protecting the car while the owner was away.

Sidewalk restuarant, the statue of the deer is just to the left of this picture.

MONDAY

Today was a Holiday in Mexico so a lot of the businesses were closed including the University where Natalia works. She spent the morning checking on her mother and I got caught up with my laundry. The library was open because it is a private library owned by a U.S. citizen who does not pay a lot of attention to Mexican Holidays. I got to the library about noon and left two books behind and bought a used one for twenty pesos. I had lunch at a place I remembered from last year but had not yet visited this year. I had been by the place several times but they do not start to serve lunch until 1PM and I am usually ready to eat by noon. I had lunch and read until after two than started to meander toward the house. The place I buy my special ice cream bar was out of them today so no ice cream. I am particular sometime. .  .  .  I got back at four and visited with Natalia for a while before she went out then I stretched out to read for a while before deciding to post the blog. 
This was another great t-shirt day.

This is a good picture of the three islands [the large ones] off the coast of MZT. They are uninhabited and used as animal sanctuaries. Birds mostly, I suppose.

The south end of the Malecon at low tide. The beach is used mostly by guests of the hotels housed in the two largest building you can see. Behind the tallest building is where the library and Macaw's Restaurant is.

I was standing in front of the tallest building [above] when I took this picture on the night of the Carnaval Parade. This is looking North.

SUNDAY

. . . .I had a good Sunday, the weather is really getting better very quickly around here and today was a T-shirt day. I did a lot of reading and sitting in the park, the usual thing for me.
There was nothing St. Patrick about the day, at least I didn't see anything in town. Just a normal Sunday with less traffic than usual. The shoe shine man [Marteen] told me that this has been a bad year as far as the tourist industry in concerned, that has been his experience anyway. Natalia has told me that things will pick up shortly when what may be called 'spring break' arrives. Previous spring breaks have been pretty wild around here when the drug Cartels were in charge [or thought they were] but since the Govt has clamped down the crowds are not so wound up. That suits me just fine. I left here on the 16th of March last year so I did not take part but it looks like I will this year. At least until 5PM when I usually get back to the house.

I would guess this to be one of the oldest houses in MZT. It is about 12X12 and made from mud bricks with a lean too added on in the back. I would like to see it without the fence in front of it but this is the pic I could get.

This property consists of only the mud brick wall you see being propped up by the wooden posts. The other side of the wall is an empty, overgrown lot. It is interesting how bushes have taken root in the mud bricks at ceiling level. They have now been cut back but I see a lot of this in the older buildings in town.

This is another one a few blocks away, this shrubbery looks like it had been cut back at least once in the past. There are still walls behind these windows but not much of a roof.

I took a pic of this building last year and posted it on YouTube. At that time it was going through refurbishing , they did a good job.

SATURDAY

It was warm this morning and I was out earlier than usual. I got to the library again to drop off one book and pick up another. Nice lunch at Central Market and an ice cream later. I got back to the house about 5PM. I had been to the Malecon earlier and was surprised at the thick,warm fog that was sitting about 100 yards off the beach. A really muggy day at the waters edge but it was hardly noticeable in town. Natalia had friends in when I arrived so I went to my room and read for a while before moving to the puter and posting the blog. It was a good day.

This is another panorama my puter stitched together for me. I enjoy making these pictures.

I walk on this street ocassionally, I have no idea how old that stone wall is but it is interesting. A few of the stones higher up have fallen out and the birds have  built nests in the hollows.

One more of the many works of art seen along the Malecon.

FRIDAY

       Today I visited the Art Museum across the street from Macaws Restaurant. There were perhaps two dozen items on exhibit. It was interesting but not my cup of tea. I then went out on the Malecon and stepped inside a restaurant called El Faro and had a chicken salad with a coke. I was there almost two hours reading and listening to the waves breaking over the nearby rocks. On the way back to the house I stopped off for an ice cream. I got back about 4PM. I can feel spring in the air, things are warming up a bit and I am watching the weather reports from Kelso. It looks like spring is beginning to arrive there also.

This guy is fishing by throwing his line out and retrieving it without the use of a fishing pole. He is not after sport, he wants fish!

 

 

These fishermen are cleaning the morning catch while the Pelican waits for his share.

Tub after tub of shrimp of all shapes and sizes. This little market is not far from Natalia's place, you can smell it from far off when the wind is just right.

The fishermans barber shop, this is not the one I go to. Trust me.

 

THURSDAY

     Another nice day, I wore my sweat shirt and found it a bit too warm until later in the afternoon when I walked on the Malecon. I had a nice lunch and spent lots of time reading the' Bonfire of the Vanities.' On the way home I picked up a dozen eggs for Natalia, she has been showing me all kinds of breakfast recipes with eggs. I also supply a lot of oranges and we have orange juice with breakfast. It is just a ball around here  but I am not putting on any weight because there is little sugar or bread in my diet. My belt has been taken up three notches since I have arrived, I don't doubt that will change when I get home.

This is Jessica, the violin student who lived by Natalia last year when I was here. She has since moved several cities away but stopped by recently to say hello to Natalia.

Meet Caesar the bartender/waiter/dishwasher at Macaw's where I eat once in a while. His English is good and he laughs at many of the funny Nortamericans who stop by and talk too loud.

This is a better picture of the sign over the Bar at Macaw's.

Marteen, the mobile shoe shine man. He carries his equipment on the back of a bicycle and asks folks for work as he coasts by. He seems like a very nice fellow, easy to talk too and understands us Northerners pretty well.

I took pictures of the inside of the buses because I hoped to show what a mess they are. I would need a better closeup than these to show what I am talking about though. I get the impression that once the buses are worn out in Mexico City the bus company here buys them and puts them into service for as long as they last. None of them have automatic transmissions or good clutches. The raking of gears at each shift is almost to be expected. I cringe when that happens, the play in the steering wheel is almost a quarter turn in some of them I have been on. The brakes need attention too, I bet! Some of them sound like it.

WEDNESDAY

Today I visited the local anthropological Museum and took a few pictures. It has only five small rooms with artifacts displayed in glass cases. Interesting but things like that get old pretty quick for me. Get the humor there? I had lunch at Macaws again, I will have to post some pictures of the inside of that restaruant one day, I think I have two. The pictures of the museum are still in the camera so I will post them some other day also.

One of the Hotels on the Malecon have several of these cabana's for folks to relax in and order food and drink.

Some guys carry a long handled paddle with them, they are interesting to watch and it looks like fun. Just gliding along, soaking up sunshine.

TUESDAY

This was a nice day to sit in the park and read. There was a bit of a breeze but I never got near the beach so I didn't realize how cool it might have been there. I got back to the house before 3PM and had a nice nap after reading for a short time. The afternoon naps are getting more and more easy all of the time!

I have taken a few animal pictures since being here, here are a few of them.

These two cats live at the foot of the hill beneth the Lighthouse, the black one was hissing at me for getting too close.

 

I see this dog at the beach every day, sleping when there is nothing else going on, he is owned by one of the fishermen.

I was above him on the Malecon when I took this picture.

These two were relaxing on their own from window sill, noisy when other dogs walked by.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MONDAY

This was another lazy day. I did get in a three hour walk  but some of that time was spent in a restaurant and sitting by the beach reading. The entire walking distance was less than four miles, I'm sure. At least today it was warmer, the waves are up but the wind was not really cool.

Let's return to the Kiddie Zoo today.

 

It is difficult to see at first but there is a very large Peacock taking up the center of this picture.

I did not believe these guys were real until I noticed they were breathing.

Big monsters for a kiddie zoo.

SUNDAY

     Natalia and her Granddaughter Natalia IV left me some breakfast in the microwave when they left at 8:30. I was out the door about an hour later myself. This was another day that I wish I had brought more long sleeved shirts; there is a real cool wind coming in off the ocean and not a cloud in the sky. My day consisted of reading and moving from one park bench to another trying to find  a warm spot. I stopped in a new restaurant today and while enjoying my book discovered two of Natalia's Canadian friends at the next table. I visited with then for a while before getting back out in the breeze. I was happy to be back inside at 4PM. I noticed the clock on my computer thinks I am still in the Pacific Time Zone, the switch to daylight savings time has arrived, the first day of spring can not  be far behind. . . .I was happy to see that my video posted yesterday, I will try the other one today and see what happens.

This shows a contestent trading his bicycle for running shoes. It all must be done properly and there are officials watching. The bike must be left hanging safely on the bar also.

In the center of the picture 150 yards off shore can be found the two orange bouys that are used as the turning points for the swimmers. I guess the swimming distance is about a quarter mile. I did not arrive early enough to catch them leaving the water.

This is another picture of the bikes lined up for inspection on Friday before Saturday's race.