Despite—or perhaps because of—our concern about Semana Santa and COVID-19, things are finally getting quiet here in Mazatlán: no RAZRs running up and down the malecón at all hours, almost no motorcycles revving, and very few pulmonías or aurigas blaring their music in the middle of the night. It has taken a while, but Mexico is on board.

This pandemic to me is Mother Nature’s way of sending us all to our rooms and telling us to reflect on our actions while she cleans up her air. I do hope we will listen, but looking at the number of single-use masks now polluting our global waterways (photos below from the internet–not from Mazatlán), it seems we are not learning.

Governor Quirino Ordaz first closed schools and massive events; then casinos, discos and cinemas. Next bars and restaurants were ordered to scale back seating 50%. Despite all this, we went a couple of weeks with loads of fireworks going off around town periodically and banda music blaring—showing that, despite the cancellation of loads of parties and events, others continued. Even now El Muchacho Alegre seems to have a party crowd in the evenings.

As it is up north, here it’s difficult to find hand gel, good sanitizer (bleach seems readily available), and face masks. We worry if medical staff will have the equipment they will need. A week or ten days ago people in Mazatlán started to make fabric masks. First they passed them out to family and friends, and now many locals are selling them, including ones made by the domestic-violence-surviving young women at Floreser. If you need homemade masks, they are my go-to source. Call Ely Cucurumbe at 669-123-1669 and she’ll deliver some to you (50 pesos each); she speaks great English.

Many restaurants have now voluntarily closed or have cut back to pickup or delivery only, including the Panama chain. This week the governor closed all beaches in Sinaloa: ocean, river, lake, stream. We have watched all day today as the lifeguards on 4-wheelers chase down anyone walking or gathering on the beach and make them leave. Banks, doctor’s offices and many stores are practicing the social distancing promoted by cartoon super-heroine “Susana Distancia” (“sana distancia” is “social distancing”) by marking their floors and setting chairs at a safe distance. This sadly does not prevent people from crowding around on top of each other. Below is a photo of the sign on the Cuban place, Carlos and Lucía’s, in the Golden Zone.

All but essential workers have been asked to shelter in place, as we accustom to a new normal of food and grocery deliveries (stores remain open). Of course workers who are accustomed to living paycheck to paycheck are suffering horribly. President Lopez Obrador has promised relief, and Mazatlán’s mayor has done so, as well. It’s not enough, but it’s something. Most foreigners here have paid their housekeepers to stay home and not work, and I believe most foreign-owned businesses are doing the best they can by their workers, too. These are challenging times, to say the least. Yet, there are those who continue kissing, hugging and drinking on the malecón, and others who insist on partying. It breaks my heart, as so many of us are already indoors for three weeks in order to help minimize the effect of this virus on the community.

Click on any photo to enlarge it or view a slideshow.

Wednesday the governor ordered the closure of all hotels. The AquaMarina Hotel had been one of the first to close, it seems a couple of weeks ago already. The photos above are of workers putting up a fence to prevent access to the Olas Altas Inn on the malecón, plus photos of the Hotel Playa Mazatlán, closed for the first time since its founding, the Decima and the Playa Bonita.

Several of the hotels have lit hearts using the lights of their empty rooms, as a sign of hope to our fair city, I suppose. I do love the gesture. The Hotel Hacienda, of course, has a tradition of lighting up for the holidays. Sadly, this time it’s not a celebration.

Photo by Carlos Pérez

Below I throw in a pic of tonight’s sunset for those of you who are up north.

Be well, dear readers, whether you are here in Mazatlán or you have returned to your families up north. Stay home, stay safe. Help out anyone you know who is alone, has special needs or underlying medical conditions. I hope you can use the time to read, learn a new skill or try a new exercise. Take care of yourselves and reach out to others; creativity is key as we tread this new territory.