Mazatlán

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Surfing Adrian

The waves have been pretty nice lately, I imagine part of the reason is the tropical storm Adrian, out in the ocean way west of us. This morning the surfers were enjoying themselves – of course a Saturday morning always has more surfers than a weekday, but today was even more popular than usual.  I counted more than 20 surfers at one point. There are a mix of surfers and bodyboarders.  Bodyboarders like to do a move where they go...

Nice times in the City

Coming up Saturday is one of our favorite events of the summer here – Dia de la Musica.  It is actually at night, and there are 21 groups performing at six stages around Centro with live music for more than five hours. The event is free.  Below is the lineup: Programa del Día de la Música 2011: Escenario Machado (calle heriberto frías, en la plazuela) Coro Guillermo Sarabia Camerata Mazatlán Pumcayó (guadalajara) Thesconek t (df) watch video Klezmerson (df) watch...

Summer is coming…

The last couple of days have felt warm. Not hot – blast furnace hot – like it can get in August or September. In August you can drive along with your hand out the window and feel the heat just like an oven. Right now it is warm but there is this little undercurrent of cool. Even though it isn’t super hot it takes a bit of time to adjust and I have been a bit woozy today, not feeling...

Restoring El Chalet de Salvadora Chávez

Long ago when the city of Mazatlán was a small city, Calle Principal was the main drag through town. Actually, that’s what Calle Principal means – Main Street. Many of the houses were quite large and imposing. Now the street is called Belisario Domínguez – not the only change on this special old street. Many of the large mansions have been broken up into several houses, some are restored beauties, some have been left to crumble away, and some are...

End of the season…

Here in Mazatlán, the snowbirds have gone North again and those of us who stay all year wonder why they leave so early. The weather is perfect – in the 80’s during the day and 60’s at night.  The beaches are ours again, and the water is pleasant. Beer is 15 pesos, you can buy a mango on a stick or a cup full of cut up watermelon… and along with a good book, what more could you want?x Last...

Moto madness

I took tons of video of the Moto parade on Saturday, but have decided not to kill myself editing it since the most excellent reporters/bloggers over at MazReal made a much better job of it than I ever could.  Please head over to MazReal to check it out! If you think you might want to bring your bike over to Mazatlán next year, the Moto Week website is here – and it is usually the week after Easter....

Friday night party

Above is the statue is of José Ángel Espinoza “Ferrusquilla” – note the moto with three guys on it in at the right! I think Moto Week is my favorite event of the year in Mazatlán.  It is just such a happy time, all the bikers and those watching are having so much fun! This afternoon is the parade, so we’re not done with Moto Week yet!...

Vamos a la playa

Everyone is at the beach today.  I mean everyone. The picture at the top of this post is one of Mazatlán’s busiest and craziest streets – Ejército Mexicano.  It is usually something like 4 – 7 lanes (if you have driven in México, you know what I mean) and packed with cars.  We make an effort to avoid it at all cost… but how about that picture?  Empty. That’s because everyone is at the beach!  Most stores in town are...

Mazatlán’s artistic side…

If you are visiting Mazatlán in the winter, you owe it to yourself to spend the first Friday of each month visiting open artist studios in Centro Historico.  First Friday Art Walk is from 4-8 pm, and you can amble from one studio to another using the maps & artist profiles that are available all over town (and on the website link above).  This month the First Friday art walk is actually taking place on the second  Friday, the 11th,...

A Wonderful Mazatlán Carnaval…

It’s been a wonderful Carnaval here in Mazatlán.  Last year was the pits, so we all were hopeful that this year would be a good one. The new mayor and governor were determined that it would be peaceful, well attended, and organized.  We think they succeeded. The theme this year was “The Return of the Muses.” Along the length of the malecon many statues like the one above were placed, as well as in significant spots throughout Centro – like...

…all the news – that’s fit to print…

Yes, there has been lots going on in the Countdown to Mexico neighborhood, lately – here’s a bit of an update: I’ve been getting together with various women friends pretty frequently – for coffee, for a walk or a bike ride, to share knitting, to discuss books, and probably much more.  One of the things that I love about life here is having so many women friends. Some are here year round and some just come for the winter but...

The Countdown to Mexico Mailbag

I get a fair bit of mail at from people who write me directly via the Contact Us page.  I thought I’d give you a sampling of what an average couple of weeks is like in the Countdown to Mexico mailbag. Question:  I would appreciate it if you could include my new Mazatlan Mexico Business Directory in your site. I am a SEO professional and Web Developer moving to Maz in a few months. (website link not shown here) Answer:...

I’m in love

with my life, and my life in this place.  I know it wouldn’t be for everyone, but I love it. Yes, I get aggravated at times but over all I love it.  It can be noisy, and dirty, and sometimes it smells like pee.  But I hear laughing throughout the day, every day.  People smile a lot.  Shy smiles, big smiles, every kind. Things are different here.  I like that.  I like walking to the mercado for fruits and vegetables....

It’s a winter wonderland…

I love seeing Mazatlán through new eyes.  My older sister came to visit for a week and I loved showing her what our life is like and seeing her really understand the magic of this place. The weather has been chilly – by Mazatlán standards, that is. High 50’s to low 60’s overnight and mid-60’s to mid-70’s during the day.  We’ve had a lot of wind, too – so a jacket or shawl is nearby at all times.  She joked...

Little cuties!

I love geckos.  We have them all over the house, and enjoy their kissing noises in the evening.  They are considered good luck, and since they eat bugs and are cute, we are happy to have them living with us! They like to run around at night, and in the morning we have evidence of where they’ve been!  They like to hang out above one of my kitchen counters (yes, it get’s cleaned first thing in the morning) and on...