Author Archives: Dianne Hofner Saphiere

Entrega de los Pollos/Handing out Chickens — Where/What Time

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Quince Letras, corner of Tampico and Francisco Villas streets
We load from either side of this “Coca Cola” store on the corner

Many, many thanks to all of you who attended the Desayuno de los Pollos/Breakfast of the Chickens earlier this month, who have donated money, collected clothing and toys, and who have worked hard this week packing up rice, beans, coffee, tomatoe paste, pasta, etc. Your kindness and efforts will help improve the lives of over 2000 families in Mazatlán who are less economically fortunate than ourselves.

I was over at Yolanda’s today, and they need a few more pickup trucks or even larger trucks to help us haul the frozen whole chickens. Please, if you have access to a truck and are willing to drive it on December 24th, would you contact Jorge Medina on his cell at 669-110-07-44 and let him know? Thank you! Please pass this request on to anyone you know with a truck. All who are driving: please have your trucks at Quince Letras downtown by 6:30 am on the 24th, latest by 7:00 am.

Several of you have asked us what time to show up on the morning of December 24th in order to help load the trucks and deliver the goodies out to the colonias. Those who have worked in the past and know the drill, please plan to show up about 6:30 am. Those of you who are first-timers, coming by about 7:00 am will put you there just in time to help us load. We make lines of people to pass the foodstuffs/despensas into the truck, and able-bodied guys load the boxes of frozen chickens.

That morning, please bring any additional used clothing in good condition that you have assembled (it’s best to take clothing over to Yolanda’s for sorting before that morning, if possible), any candy or toys you have for the kids. Donations that morning will also be welcome, as Yolanda has signed for some of the food on credit/faith.

DATE: December 24th

TIME: 6:30 am if you are driving a truck, 7:00 am if you are helping us load and deliver

LOCATION: 15 (QUINCE) LETRAS, corner of Francisco Villa and Tampico, just down the hill from the Church of Cristo Rey (Christ the King)

  1. Turn East at the Fisherman’s Monument.
  2. Go to the first light and turn right.
  3. Proceed one block and turn left (Francisco Villa street, just before the Pemex station).
  4. Go two blocks.
  5. If you are NOT driving a truck or transporting supplies, please park in the next block. This will give us room for loading. Once you’ve parked, walk another block down, past the iron works business called “Quince Letras.” On the corner of Francisco Villa and Tampico you will see a small store with a bright red “Coca Cola” hand painted on the outside, across from a tortillería. A door next to the Cocheras Automaticas business will be open. That’s Yolanda’s mother’s house, and it’s from there that we’ll be loading.
  6. If you ARE driving a truck or transporting supplies, please drive up to Tampico street (the “Coca Cola” store on your right on the corner), turn right, and park. We will be loading right there.

IMG_0669If you can’t find it, just ask someone for “Quince Letras” or “Desayuno de los Pollos/Medina family.” Everyone in the area will know. It is just down the hill from the Cristo Rey Church (photo at left).

Ice Skating in Mazatlan, Part 2

1.IMG_4822So many of you have asked, in response to my initial post, “So, how is it? How is the Christmas Fair and the whole ice skating thing? Post some pictures!” And, I’ve been so busy with work and partying that I haven’t gotten to it. ‘Tis the season. But, finally, here goes…. I’m using WordPress’ new slide show feature. I’ll post photos of the ice skating as well as of the fair itself, lit up at night. If you haven’t gone, it’s definitely worth a visit. It’s on the road right in front of the Bosque de la Ciudad/City Park, by the baseball stadium.

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I’ve been over to the fair a couple of times since it opened. It’s a whole lot of fun volunteering to help people with the skating. Bless those “Blue Shirts,” the Tourist Aide Volunteers or “Smurfs,” as the locals seem to call them. I was an honorary Smurf for this volunteer gig, but the real TAVs do this sort of thing all the time!

The skaters are just sooooooo very excited to be on skates and on ice! And to know that it’s free!

They are letting people in every hour on the hour. It takes about ten minutes to rent skates and get them laced. They clear the ice ten minutes before the hour, to give people time to turn their skates back in. So, everyone gets about 40 minutes of skating time. Most of the kids seem to go back in line and get right back out on the ice. And, I’ve seen the same kids there both nights I’ve gone. It’s a great deal! Lots of families in the bleachers, taking loads of photos. What a terrific holiday gift to our community! So so good to see!

The rink is staffed by volunteers from different government offices, in addition to the paid staff. All are very helpful and kind. Most everyone gets help putting on and lacing up their skates. Sure is better service than in the ice rinks and on the skate ponds I grew up with! The skates are not brand new but they are in very good condition. The ice isn’t as hard as what I’m used to, but, hey, I rarely was able to ice skate in shorts up north, either!

In addition to the skating, the Christmas Fair has loads of shopping opportunities (commercial and handicraft items), many snacks and drinks from which to choose, about a dozen carnival rides including the gondola and tilt-a-whirl, a petting zoo, Nativity, and a performance stage. Below is a video clip of a school marimba group we heard and watched. Enjoy!

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Mini Maz: A Work by Marco Hernández

47320_1616036159131_5108622_nI have long loved miniatures. I collect them wherever I travel. I have belonged to groups in which we make them. So, when a friend of a friend posted pictures on Facebook of a miniature city, including my beloved Mazatlán, my interest was piqued!

Marcos & GGMarco A. Hernández has been working on his maqueta for years.

Once a year, during the month of December through the first week of January, it displaces his car and takes over his family’s garage. It brings joy to those walking by on the street, and squeals of delight to anyone smart enough to ask to go inside and take a look around.

Marco started with a collection of toy cars. He built some roads, overpasses, parking areas, and then a Golden Gate Bridge for those matchbox-sized cars. But he didn’t stop there.

FarmHe added a farm. He made the Angel of Independence, and put it in the center of a roundabout.

Angel of Indep

Eventually, and to my delight, he started to add in features of Mazatlán. In his miniature, garage-sized city you can walk along the malecón. It includes benches, plant boxes and a guardrail that look just like the real thing! He has even painted the malecón in the two different designs that I remember it having, thus preserving a bit of history.

Monos BichisMarco has created a miniature Monumento al Pescador. It even lights up at night! He has the pulmonía monument in miniature, as well as the Cervecería Pacífico monument. He has the Escudo, the state seal of Sinaloa, that is in Olas Altas, just down from the Pedro Infante statue.

Escudo

382150_4596447463081_150681162_nMarco has created such detail that this year he even added the row of Salvador Herrera’s photographs that hang in front of the Universidad del Occidente!

167152_1872972422377_5172596_nMarco loves to show off his project, and watch the delight in the eyes and hearts of people who come to visit. I urge you to stop by if you know him. I hesitate to post here his address, but if you’re interested in going, I can put you in touch with him.

garageFor some history on how Marco started, and how the various items in his diorama are made, visit:

http://www.artecar24.com/Coleccionismo/Colecciones/Marco-A.-Hernandez-Mazatlan-Sinaloa-Mexico.html

or

http://www.artecar24.com/Modelismo/Montajes/Una-ciudad-a-164.html

New Year’s Update: I am psyched that more and more people are passing on these posts. Today the local newspaper El Debate ran a short story using this post’s same title, though in Spanish of course.

Ice Skating in Mazatlán: Feria Navideña

1.IMG_0615The ice skates are here, all lined up and ready to go!

1.IMG_0611Workers from DF were installing the ice rink today. They told us they plan to freeze it tomorrow, and then turn it over to the city on Friday.

The Christmas Fair, the reason we’ve had major traffic jams all week in front of the Bosque de la Ciudad/City Park, is scheduled to open on Saturday.

1.IMG_0583It is going to look great! Workers have built small houses and shops out of wood and sheet rock. Tomorrow they’ll be painted, and we’re told they will be selling Christmas items.

1.IMG_0589There were oversized gifts, also made out of wood and sheet rock, which had already been painted. They are right at what looks to be the entrance.

1.IMG_05951.IMG_0621There were lights galore, wrapping palm trees, overhead supports, arches, and the new buildings. At night it is going to look spectacular.

1.IMG_0600There looks to be a petting zoo, a wishing well, and, of course, a large Nativity scene.

There is a stage for performances, and no doubt we’ll hear a choir or two.

1.IMG_0606And, best of all for the kiddos or young at heart, there are carnival rides!

 

The rides include a gondola or ski-lift-type ride leading right up to our new and temporary ice skating rink!

Be sure to stop by and check it out! This looks to be a wonderful new addition to the Christmas holiday for Mazatleco families.

Cloud-filled Sky and a Lovely Bonus

2.IMG_0548We have a lot of sunny days, rarely a cloudy one. Yesterday, while driving down Avenida del Mar, the sky surprised me with all of its clouds. It was glorious. So I took a few photos out the window as Greg was driving. Today, in downloading them, what I really loved also were the people I happened to get, framed with that gorgeous sky in the background. We can see tourists, visiting our lovely city and taking a family photo.

1.IMG_0547We can see locals exercising, stretching, running, doing situps and pushups and other calisthenics with an ocean view.

1.IMG_0550And, we can see people just pausing, relaxing, enjoying the natural beauty of this city on the bay. Thank you, Lord, for another day living in your beauty!