I was cooking up some stir-fried rice, one of Danny’s favorite dishes, filled with good veggies, leftover chicken, and brown rice, when the handle broke off my big, heavy frying pan. The soldering had come undone. Heartbreak!
Now, if I were in the States, I’d probably throw it out. Up there I have an uncle who solders, but he’s been ill, and I really don’t know where I could take a frypan for repair. But, we are in Mazatlán. People repair and recycle here, thank goodness. I didn’t want to take the pan to anyone who might drill holes in the stainless steel, insert bolts and nuts, and thus ruin the frypan’s seal as well as its look and functionality.
We’d heard about Santana, a taller de soldadura, over between Casa del Campesino and the triangular tamalería — by the two Pemexes on Ejercito Méxicano. So, we gave it a shot. The next day when we were out running errands, we stopped in. Since there was no parking available right in front of the shop, I hopped out with the frypan, while Greg parked the car around the corner.
In the three minutes it took Greg to park and meet me in the shop, our frypan was already being repaired! Talk about service! I figured we’d have to leave it for a few days, as we do with shoe repair. But, he asked me if I’d wait, I said sure, and voilá. Click any of the photos below to enlarge the view.
View of the shop with a very old and wonderful horizontal drill press.
You can see how basic the shop is. I was fascinated by the huge old horizontal drill press, which is possibly also a lathe, at the entrance. The soldering occurred by the back door to the patio. There were family photos and mementos all around. Such a quick, and pleasant, experience!
I know I couldn’t have replaced this heavy, huge frypan, affordably or easily, here in Mazatlán. A 50 peso repair bill and five minutes of my time, working with a kind, smiling and capable repairman, in a very cool blast-from-the-past workshop, was definitely a blessing.
Expats here call it “Mega.” Most of the locals I know call it “La Comer” or “Comercial Mexicana.” Either way, to me it’s a pretty boring place. I’m not a big shopper, I prefer the mercados to the supermarkets, and when there’s not a lot of variety in the offerings (fresh, local-grown or caught, unique), well, suffice it to say, Mega is not my favorite place in town.
So, we went grocery shopping there today, and we actually had a bit of excitement!
First of all, we met one of my favorite painters, Maestro Antonio López Saenz. I’ve heard him speak several times, but until today I’d never met him. What a friendly, kind and gentle soul he seemed to be! Soft-spoken, warm, and hospitable. We spoke right there between the epazote and cilantro. I was finally able to make my request, which I’ve hoped for for several years now.
“Please, maestro, might you paint a painting of our malecón as the biggest gymnasium in the world? You know how every Mazatleco uses it: running, roller blading, walking, yoga, pushups, sit-ups, bicycling? It’s perhaps the world’s longest oceanside promenade, and it’s a popular free gym for so many. It would be a gorgeous painting! It would really capture the Mazatlán of today.”
He told me how the original malecón is really just the Olas Altas portion, and that this longer part down towards “La Comer” is all new. Then he and his colleague Victor shared some really exciting news!
From December of this year the Maestro will be issuing canvas prints of his paintings! He wants them to be affordable and accessible! Woo hoo! Can’t wait to possibly have a replica of a López Saenz on our walls! Bravo!
And, the excitement in La Comer didn’t stop there. Maybe I just haven’t been looking closely enough, but I saw several interesting looking products. Rather unbelievable that they were there, actually. These included sushi rice, sushi roll wrappers (soy paper), and sesame seeds in bright “rainbow” colors (yuk—artificial dyes, but fun). Slideshow below:
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Back in the dairy case, they are carrying wine sorbets, and even one that is flan-flavored!
Just when you thought supermarket shopping couldn’t get any more boring! 😉
When we move to a new place, it naturally takes us a while to settle into a routine, to discover what is going to stoke our passion, and to get comfortable with our “selves” in the new environment. I think sometimes it takes me longer than others, since I work such long hours and in the privacy of our home; it’s hard to get out and about meeting people as often as I’d like and still “bring home the tortillas,” so to speak. One thing I’ve discovered over the past five years is how much diversity there is here in southern Sinaloa, and how much I enjoy its rich traditions, bio-diversity, and friendly people. I absolutely loved attending the frasca, the harvest of fresh shrimp in Agua Verde. I thank goodness we have marine biologists here in town who can take us up close and personal to whales and dolphins while being respectful and mindful. I love meeting people who are good at what they do, and watching them glow as they tell me about it—whether it’s oyster diving, farming in Los Llanitos, open water swimming, giving food to the hungry, or selling meat.
Sandra and Hector, center and right, with their first issue
Well, a few years ago I discovered kindred spirits online in Sandra Luz Moreno and Hector Lizárraga Vencis. While I didn’t know it at the beginning, they are the people behind Mazatlán Interactivo (MI), a portal that, over the years, I have grown to enjoy and depend on more and more. Through their articles I have learned so much about Mazatlán, the histories, celebrations and unique cultural offerings here and in our nearby towns, and they’ve enabled me to connect with some really interesting people. MI is an important part of my day. (It’s all in Spanish, btw.) While it has taken me a while to connect the dots—I first “met” Sandra via the SIFoto conference and later in groups on Facebook, and didn’t realize her connection to MI—she is kind and funny, and has made me feel welcome and valued in our adopted home. Yesterday she and Hector celebrated the 18th anniversary of their terrific Mazatlán Interactivo—18 years of unflaggingly promoting the diversity, authenticity, and sustainability of Sinaloa (particularly southern Sinaloa), with an anniversary party at the Convention Center. The party included the launch of an exciting new venture: Sinaloa Tour.
It was a wonderful event! We were greeted personally at the door by Sandra and Hector, as well as by beautiful, traditionally dressed folkloric dancers. After a welcome speech, there were introductions by several of the municipios in southern Sinaloa. We very much enjoyed the presentation by Marcos Osuna, of El Quelite/El Mesón de los Laureanos fame. You no doubt know him and have enjoyed the terrific experience his restaurant provides. We take most all our visitors up that way for an enjoyable day trip. I know Marcos because he helped Danny with his quest to get to World Scout Jamboree. For decades he has been an incredible leader and visionary for El Quelite, working tirelessly for education, for the welfare of the local people, and to promote tourism to the town. While he spoke a bit long for my taste, he is charming, very, very funny, and incredibly inspirational. He admonished everyone in the room (primarily tour providers, artists and crafters, restaurant and hotel owners, plus government leaders and media) to:
constantly up their skills and to behave as professionally as possible,
to learn cross-cultural communication in order to differentiate the needs and desires of a diverse (national and international) customer base, and, interestingly to me,
to dedicate themselves to providing new experiences for tourists: experiences they can’t get at home, and
not to compete on price, as people will pay even in down economic times if the experience is unique and memorable,
to be honest and AUTHENTIC, reaching into local traditions, customs, flora and fauna, being proud of it, and translating it in an accessible way to our visitors.
Photo courtesy Mazatlán Interactivo
The representatives from El Rosario showed us two very terrific, creative ways to learn introduce a place. First, the group Sófocles, directed by Fernando Barraza, acted out with much dramatic flair two legends of the town. What a talented group, and what a terrific way to introduce and communicate the soul of a place! They followed that with the presentation of a gorgeous dress, designed by Sergio Antonio García Peinado, that showed representations of the various locations and claims to fame of the municipality. No boring talking heads today!
Cosalá was also very enjoyably represented by Gregorio Corrales , who, wearing a large sombrero and a beautiful leather zarape, sang a few traditional songs and corridos of the region for us, to the accompaniment of folkloric dancers. The music got the best of most everyone in the room, as people in the audience as well as on stage paired off to dance.
We were pleased to be able to meet Maestro Faustino Lopez Osuna, composer of our state anthem, and enjoyed the storytelling of Joaquín López Hernández, who recounted some legendary lies from the book, “El Güilo Mentiras”, written by Escuinapan author Dámaso Murúa.
Sinaloa Tour is something I’ve been looking forward to. Right now it’s only in Spanish with GoogleTranslate in a pull-down menu, but the great thing is that they have put together a bunch of information on the small towns in southern Sinaloa, to make it easier for all of us to explore and get to know them! In addition to the public-service aspect of the site (a partnership with the state), there is a commercial tour side. And again, to me it’s exciting, as they are planning tours that highlight the diversity and rich tradition that Sinaloa has to offer: religious, nature and environmental, cultural, sports, gastronomy, and adventure tourism.
At the time of this writing, the site seems to still have its glitches and typos, as with most any new launch, but I am hopeful that it will become a resource to help all of us enjoy both our gorgeous Mazatlán and the surrounding areas more fully, in the process learning more about what has been here for hundreds of years before we set foot.
Hector and Sandra, and staff, congratulations and thank you!
Not only do we live on this gorgeous Bay of Mazatlán, with the huge variety of flora and fauna we enjoy every day, but we have locals who have left town to study, become experts, and return to give back to and enjoy fully of this wonderful community of ours.
Such is the case with Oscar Guzón, a marine biologist from a local family who not only owns and operates Onca, but advocates tirelessly for the environmental well being and conservation of our port city and its beautiful bay.
We were fortunate to meet Oscar shortly after having moved down here full time. I’ve written previously about Onca’s whale watching expeditions, which are by far the best I’ve experienced, East Coast or West, Europe or Asia. Passengers’ enjoyment of the whale watching experience is part of their larger effort to catalog and study the whales, their habits and migration patterns.
Well, Onca has added another marine mammal to their studies: the dolphin. Going out with Onca, you’ll learn about the dozens of species of this cetacean, and the fact that we have a huge percentage of those species right here in Mazatlán. Onca’s crew are doing for the dolphins what they’re doing for the whales: cataloguing, studying and tracking them, as part of larger efforts throughout the Sea of Cortes and points south.
Their new “swim with the dolphins” program is not to be missed! We were completely surrounded by these amazing creatures, many times over. Now, maybe you can swim as fast as a dolphin, but I certainly can’t! First time in the water, I swam. Second time, I used a life preserver; it was much more enjoyable for me to just sort of float there among the gorgeous dolphins as they swam, frolicked and jumped around me. Trying to keep up with them was obviously not going to work!
The Onca crew are consummate professionals, the boat and equipment top-knotch and safe. They don’t just provide a tour, they provide an education, and are committed to giving us the best experience possible: we swam, we snorkeled, they provided sandwiches and drinks, and they watched over us to keep us safe and happy. It’s beautiful to see how much they love and respect the wildlife as well as this gorgeous place in which we are fortunate to live.
Thank you, Oscar, Belén, Saúl, and Michel. Here is a short video of our dolphin swim on Wednesday.
PS: I’m not being paid or remunerated for this post. It’s just a whole lot of fun, and I want to let you all know.
Day of the Music is among our favorite annual events here in Mazatlán. The city sets up stages at various locations downtown, all within a few blocks of each other. The twenty performers rotate on the hour most of the night, beginning at 7:00 pm, and each stage has a theme. There is also always a visual and street arts corner, which was in a new location this year but just as much fun. In 2011 we made our first video about Day of the Music, and below is a video of this year. I hope you’ll enjoy it! Please let me know what you think.
Saturday was a gorgeous evening, as usual. Starting in daylight and quickly moving into and past sunset, the moon hung hugely over this year’s festivities. Weather was warm and comfy with a wonderful ocean breeze. There was a huge variety of music, and we met at least 30 friends as we walked and danced around. It’s such a joy to be able to see people from all walks of life, coming out with their families to enjoy this community event each year. Mouse over any photo to view the caption, click on it to enlarge or view a slideshow.
The moon kept watch all night long
Dixieland jazz
Casa Machado
Moon over the Casa Machado
Better to walk than to try and drive
Current favorites and retro favorites: Enrique Aguilar from the 60s-era Stukas joins la Falsa Orquesta Cubana
Love the portable stage-in-a-trailer they always set up
Large happy crowds at each stage
Not the music we imagined when we read “strings”
Selling aguas frescas and snacks in the plaza facing the art museum
Gotta get popcorn…
Just chillin’ in Olas Altas
Banda
Looking out to the ocean
Love walking around Centro Histórico at night
Great turnout
Gorgeous venues
Our beloved venadito
Street artists were invited from around the country
Lots of live painting
Live painting
Visual arts space at A La Vuelta de Venus
Plazuela vendors set up along the street
This year the themes and performers on the five stages were:
Escenario Machado (in the Plazuela)
Guillermo Sarabia Chorus
B. Smith’s Hot Jazz (Dixieland, from Culiacán)
Camerata Mazatlán and the Folkloric Ballet
Ikloo (60s classic rock)
Continentalísimo Mariachi Show
Escenario Fusión (Calle Venus between Sixto Osuna and Constitución)
Jazz Plasma
Honest Jon and the Truth
Daniel San Project
Lori Davidson and Rob Lamonica
Banda y Tropical (on the malecón at the end of Calle Constitución)
Percussion Ensemble
Banda La Mazatleca (played for two hours; we are the birthplace of banda, after all!)
La Falsa Orquesta Cubana (my personal favorite)
Escenario del Recuerdo (in front of the Art Museum)
Trova Cardio
Malamecha, Boleros and Cantantes (Municipal School of the Arts group)
Grupo con Cuerdas (strings playing popular music)
Angela Peralta Chorus (non-professional community chorus)
Rock y Tendencias (Calle Niños Heroes and Constitución)
Haiku (from Escuinapa)
Los Insane
Lady Munster (from Los Mochis)
The Oaths
LIVE VISUAL ART: A La Vuelta de Venus
Dhear
Beo Hake (from Monterrey)
Yurex Omazkin (from Mexico City)
Watchavato (from Culiacán)
Smithe (from Mexico City)
Bacse
Tony Delfino
Buque
Wank
AskoAbsurdo
Cusehr
Thank you, Mazatlán and CULTURA! This is a terrific event, so very pleasurable, a true gift for all Mazatlecos and those who are visiting!
A couple of things we noticed this year, that might make a difference going forward. The first is to ensure that the stages themselves don’t block the walking access between venues. If they must, please put up signage that directs people to the correct walking route. Many elderly attend this event, and to see them having to retrace their steps or go around, some in wheel chairs and scooters, was sad. Secondly, this year it seemed the theme of a couple of the stages changed more than in years past. Perhaps this was purposeful, to help ensure that people would move around? If so it definitely accomplished that purpose, creating more movement than is customary, as people who love classical would hightail it out of the vicinity as jazz came on, or people who love popular music became disappointed as a chorus took the stage. A bit more consistency of style on each stage seems to us to make for a cozier and more enjoyable evening. But, these are both incredibly minor, considering the overall quality and pleasure of this terrific event.
¡VidaMaz! 