Panoramic photo of the first estuary, right by the new bridge in Delfin
On Mothers’ Day Greg and I took a photo safari up north of Delfín, to where Greg has been riding his bike the past few weekends. We took a cooler filled with drinks and lunch, so we could have a picnic. It was a truly gorgeous place to visit. I imagine those who live in Delfín hike this area often. But for me, it was my first time going up quite this far, and I highly recommend it. It made for a most wonderful Mothers’ Day!
The area where we went parallels the railroad tracks, and is full of estuaries. It is secluded enough that it lends itself well to really enjoyable hiking. I loved how we could hear the surf so loudly, but the second we got back in, even just a little bit, we couldn’t hear the surf anymore.
The beaches felt so private to a “city girl” who lives on the malecón. A man lives up next to the tracks (see his home below), and there are lean-tos that I suppose were built by the railroad workers to shelter them from the sun during construction or repair of the tracks. The grass up this way is really cool. It grows so thick, and the wind whips it all one way or the other. You could tell the area floods during high seas, as there was sand and beach debris everywhere. I was especially fascinated with the railroad trestle. I grew up next to one in Wisconsin, and the reflection of this one in the water was quite captivating. About five minutes after we crossed the trestle the second time, sure enough, a train came by. I was quite happy we were, by then, getting out our picnic! Click on any photo to enlarge it, or view a slideshow.
View of the mountains over an estuary
One of the lean-tos beside the RR bridge
Erosion on the beach
Sea grass
View of the mountains over an estuary
Gorgeous estuary and ocean views
The house I mentioned beside the tracks
The train trestle reflects nicely in the water
The three islands and El Riu
Estuary view
View of the mountains over an estuary
Estuary view
We saw loads of gorgeous flora and fauna—birds, reptiles, insects, mammals, trees, flowers, plants and cactus. We found quite a few different bones and skeletons along the way as well. It was a bit too overcast for my taste and for great photos, but, on the other hand, it made for comfortable hiking. I will most definitely hike up this way many more times.
Heron
Ibis
Skeleton of what?
Cactus flowers
Cactus flowers
Gorgeous bark
More gorgeous bark
Closeup of the bark
Twisted branches and vines
Ibis
A nest
So so many birds, of every sort!
So so many birds, of every sort!
So so many birds, of every sort!
So so many birds, of every sort!
So many birds, of every sort
An iguana crossing the road
To get to Delfín, just drive north on Camarón Sábalo to the road to Pueblo Bonito Emerald Bay. Turn left and go past PBEB, and just keep driving. Eventually the unpaved, very rustic road will fork. The right-hand fork takes you through a ranch and out to the highway. The left-hand fork is the one we took. We planned to park at the estuary by the train trestle, and hike north from there. However, we ended up spending quite a bit of time at the first estuary right by the new bridge, as it was filled with every kind of waterfowl you can imagine—herons, storks, ibis, pelicans, spoonbills… We also spent a significant amount of time at the second estuary—just walking around and enjoying ourselves. So, in the end, we didn’t end up hiking north of there along the dirt road, as had been our original plan. I guess we’ll just have to go again!
Please, share with me one of your favorite hiking spots!
Carpa Olivera Pool, Mazatlán, México • May 1, 2015
The renovation to Mazatlán’s historic Carpa Olivera—the ocean-fed public swimming pool in Olas Altas—positions the destination among a very elite group of cities worldwide with scenic ocean-fed swimming pools. Most such pools are steeped in history, as is ours, built in 1914 by Chilean chef Antonio Olivera, but most of them are NOT free of charge and open to the public, as ours is.
The Bondi Baths in Australia, for example, have been around for over 100 years. Costing $6.50/person or $18/family to enter, Bondi hosts swim clubs, oceanside yoga, a gym and restaurant. Its facilities are also a gorgeous location for weddings and events. From where I sit, Bondi looks better than Carpa Olivera. But, Australia is quite a ways away!
Bondi Beach, Australia
Ocean water pools are quite popular down under. In addition to the Bondi Baths, Sydney has quite a few ocean water swimming pools, and Balmain harbor is home to Australia’s oldest tidal-fed swimming pool, the Dawn Fraser Baths, built in the 1880s. Dawn Fraser offers a snack shop and hot showers. I’m confident Carpa Olivera’s showers won’t have hot water. But, then, we don’t really need it, either—especially not in the summer.
Dawn Fraser Baths, Australia
It’s said that New South Wales has over 100 ocean-fed pools. A humpback whale was even found dead in one of the pools in Sydney; see the video below. Outside of Australia, however, ocean water pools are few and far between. That’s what makes Carpa Olivera so unique—a touristic feature we should tout loudly! The Carpa Olivera restoration, in my opinion, puts Mazatlán ahead of leading tourist destinations such as San Francisco—where I’ve long wondered why someone doesn’t restore the historic Sutro baths, and Honolulu—where the Waikiki Natatorium remains a ruin. Especially a shame, since the natatorium was built as a war memorial in 1927! Click on a photo below to enlarge it or view a slideshow.
Sutro Bath ruins, San Francisco
Waikiki Natatorium
England has a long tradition of sea-fed swimming pools; my guess is they probably gave the idea to the Aussies who then ran, er, swam with it. The community-supported Shoalstone Pool near Devon, England, built in 1896, remains a gorgeous place—and entry is free! Just like Carpa Olivera, its water is refreshed every time there’s a high tide. There’s also the Sea Pool at Bude, built under the cliffs on the north Cornwall coast in the 1930s.
Shoalstone, England
Kistilano Pool, Vancouver
Sea Pool at Bude
The tidal pool outside the fortress city of Saint-Malo, France, is home to the largest tides in Europe—26 feet between high and low tides! At high tide, only the dive platform of the pool is visible, but at low tide, the entire swimming pool emerges. It was built in 1937, and is covered with algae much like Carpa Olivera was before the new remodel.
Capetown, South Africa, also has an ocean water pool with a killer view, though the water is pumped in rather than tidal fed. It’s called Sea Point Swimming Pool., and they bill it as “the most breathtaking public swimming pool in the world.” I beg to differ, as I much prefer Mazatlán’s Carpa Olivera view and more natural, rustic nature.
Seapoint Pool, Capetown
Seapoint Pool, Capetown
My favorite seawater pool is perhaps the Blue Lagoon in Reykjavík, with its thermal waters and killer views. It is, however, more of a spa than a swimming pool, and costs minimum 35 Euros to get in. Of course, you can pay extra to get a massage, facial, sauna, etc.
Blue Lagoon in Iceland
Blue Lagoon
Blue Lagoon
Copenhagen has the Kastrup Sea Bath, which looks more like diving boards and interesting architecture in the ocean, rather than a swimming pool.
Kastrup Pool, Copenhagen
Canada has a couple of ocean water swimming pools, including Kitsilano Pool in Vancouver and another in New Brunswick’s Fundy National Park. Both are filled with ocean water, but rather than being fed naturally by the tide, the water is pumped in.
Kistilano Pool, Vancouver
Pool in Fundy Park, New Brunswick
Coral Gables, Florida has the very cool public pool, the Venetian, built in a coral rock quarry. It’s been around since 1923, but it is filled from an aquifer rather than from the ocean.
Venetian Pool in Coral Gables
Have you visited a cool ocean-fed pool? Share with us your favorite!
How did I end up researching ocean-fed pools this May Day? Well, back in December we told you about several exciting, high-profile development plans for Mazatlán. We’ve recently heard from several sources that the renovation of the historic (built in 1916) balneario/ocean water swimming pool in Olas Altas—called Carpa Olivera—is scheduled to open in May. That is in plenty of time for the summer enjoyment of local and national tourist families! Ahead of schedule, really. Could it be true?
Having photographed Carpa Olivera just four short months ago when it was completely torn apart (see photos below), and knowing how many projects in town are so often chronically behind schedule and over budget (are we EVER going to see a new shark tank?), I wondered whether such good news could really be factual. The construction is hidden behind large tarps/lonas, and we don’t often walk along that portion of the malecón, so we didn’t know.
Photo from December 2014
Photo from December 2014
Today after we hiked the lighthouse we decided to check out progress, and the workers kindly gave us a tour. Progress is incredible! And, I’m very pleased to report that reality closely parallels, for a change, architectural renderings!
The view from the top level over the pool and out to the bay is incredible. That top terrace is lined with benches, so it’s sure to become a popular resting spot for families enjoying the views from our oceanside promenade. A second level down towards the ocean includes another large terrace and a snack shop, while the ocean level houses the bathrooms, water fountains for playing, the water slide, and the pools. The wood on the walkways and ramp as pictured in the renderings appears to have been changed to decorative/3-dimensional concrete, which seems much smarter to me.
Today, workers were chipping away at hardened concrete to give walkways traction/make them less slippery, as well as to give them more visual appeal. The ramps make the pool area completely wheelchair accessible, though of course if I were physically challenged I wouldn’t want to get into the pool itself. It’ll be nice for accompanying one’s family and friends, however. The cool-looking spiral water slide is in place, as it has been for some time. It is still missing the fountain that goes on top.
With the high waves coming in this morning, the pool looked very exciting, indeed! It has been refaced, so is much cleaner and more appealing than it used to be. The ocean splashes most of the lower level terrace at high tide or in rough waters, so bathers will still need to be attentive. But, that’s part of the attraction of an ocean-fed public pool! Click on any photo to enlarge it or view a slide show.
Bathrooms are fully plumbed, tiled, and nearly ready to go. The modern, molded concrete sinks are in place; toilets and faucets have yet to be installed. One worry: there is only one toilet stall and one shower nozzle in each of the bathrooms, men’s and women’s—woefully inadequate for the amount of use the place will surely get.
Bathroom interior
Molded concrete sink in the bathroom
Snack bar on the second level
View from top terrace down to the second level ramp
The walls that are finished have a much lighter rock face than in the architectural drawings (see the photo above of the snack bar). I don’t like it nearly as much. The walls along the ramp and terraces have not been finished, so it wasn’t clear to us if they will have a darker/richer rock facing of the type we’ve been expecting; we sure hope so, as it would add so much visual appeal to the facility. My guess is the facing will be identical to what’s already been installed.
Note the fountains and rock facing on the walls
Unfinished walls on the terrace
Improvements like the new and improved Carpa Olivera make me proud of our city and the current administration. The renovations are coming in on time and on budget, as far as I know. We asked the workers if entrance to the pools would be free or if there would be a fee, but they didn’t know the answer, and I have yet to ask someone who’d know. Whether there’s a fee, or whether it’s free, Carpa Olivera puts Mazatlán front and center as home to one of the world’s most scenic and exciting ocean-fed swimming pools!
Went to a baseball game last night. Not your average baseball game however. Those of us who have been to see the Venados de Mazatlán play are familiar with the party-like atmosphere where the game almost takes a back seat to the music, the beer and extracurricular activities taking place on and around the field. Last night however, was not a Venados game. Last night was El Juego de las Estrellas – or Game of the Stars. By stars, I mean the stars of Banda Music, the style of music popular in this region of Mexico. (See my earlier blog post on the subject here).
This is an annual event although the complete history of it is unknown to me, so if you can fill me in, please leave information in the comments below. Thanks.
The event is free to the public. The event has many sponsors, but the main sponsor was radio station 102.7 who gave away the tickets. The doors were set to open around 5:00 and people were in line before 3:00 to try to get the best seat. The real best seats, the box seats and cabinas, were not available to the public. We were lucky enough to score two tickets from our niece, Vanessa, to whom we are eternally grateful. Don’t know for sure, but I believe we may have been the only two foreigners in the crowd, much like our night at Julión Alvarez, a couple of years back (blog post here). Our seats were right behind the dugout for the blue team which gave us much amusement as we watched the stars interact with fans obliging them with photos and autographs and kisses for the ladies. The volume of screaming girls was deafening at time. El Yaqui is definitely the favorite of the young girls, but Julión Alvarez was the overall fan favorite garnering much attention. He played on the yellow team, so we could only see him well when he took the field. Did I mention there was a baseball game going on?
Each team was introduced one player at a time with full name, banda affiliation and a partial recording of a song the crowd would know. The team “managers” were introduced last: both legends in the banda business. Germán Lizárraga managed the yellow team while René Camacho managed the blue team. With introductions concluded the seven-inning game finally began around 6:30. The blue team got off to an early lead and never looked back – but who cares, right? Many players were rotated out, some only playing a single inning. El Coyote was the opening pitcher for the yellow team and lasted less than an inning.
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Chuy Lizarraga amused the crowd with a slow walk towards first after making contact with the ball to the infield for an easy out. Julión struck out his first time at bat, but made up for that with a single his next time up. Governor Malova showed up midway and joined the yellow team. He walked once and popped up to the shortstop the second time. This last at bat was booed by the crowd. Not sure if it was because the guy caught the ball and put the Governor out, or if they expected more from the big guy?
During the game there was a non-stop queue at each dugout to meet and greet stars. They were all extremely accommodating and gracious. Security had to intervene at times, but overall it was quite orderly. Somebody sitting in front of me was famous. I didn’t know who he was, but have since learned that he is Amilcar Gaxiola who pitched a no-hitter for the Venados this season. Thanks to our friends at Torres Mazatlan Vacation International for recognizing him and letting us know. The mystery is solved!
Mystery Guy: Amilcar Gaxiola
The house band was Banda La Corona Del Rey. There were in the stands in box seats just near the yellow team dugout. They played before the game started and during each change of sides. The vocals were often handled by the stars including Julión Alvarez, Roberto Junior and Eden Muñoz of Calibre 50. Before each player batted, the house music would change to one of their hits which helped remind us who was who at the plate.
Click any picture below to enlarge or view a slideshow.
Fans
Fans
Julion at the plate
Julion singing for the crowd
Decibel level with music playing
Dianne with El Yaqui
El Yaqui heard his name called by the girls all night long
Official staff shirt
Roberto Junior
The dugout
Screaming Fans
Eden Muñoz of Calibre 50
The good seats!
Fans
Fans
And now you can watch this amazing video:
It was a great night for music fans and baseball fans alike. See you next year!
Last night was a huge milestone in the life of a dear friend of ours, and also a major event in the sports history of Mazatlán. El Angel, the first world champion in Lucha Libre from Mazatlán, retired from the ring after a 30 year career. Some of you may know Tony Acuña, who owns a stand in the Pino Suarez Market, and previously owned several shops in the Golden Zone as well. We felt very privileged—and had oh-so-much-fun—helping him celebrate!
We invited a bunch of friends to this historic event—about 50 bought tickets to join us. I had been to Lucha Libre once before, in the bull ring, and don’t remember enjoying it very much. But last night ROCKED! I’d made signs supporting Angel, bought a bunch of noise makers, we all wore black shirts, and many of us bought masks as well. OH MY GOSH! Was it fun!
Yes, lucha libre is like a dance—one fighter follows the other’s lead, and there are some basic moves fighters must master plus variations and frills added on. It is absolutely full of joy, whether the luchadores are back-flipping off the ropes or hitting each other over the head with chairs. These men are up there to entertain. The luchadores are skilled athletes, many of them gymnasts. They love the kids, they take time to play with and take pics with the audience. They were even game to pose with us middle-aged sexy women 😉
Last night El Angel was joined by the very famous Blue Panther and the Mascarita Sagrada, who flew into town for this event. The Kempo Dragon, a young local lad with abs of steel and contact lenses that made his eyes look very spooky, was another hit with our group. We saw dozens of luchadores fight last night. It was a wonderful, action-packed, 3 1/2 hour event.
Most of the lucha teams last night—there were six or seven fights total—were composed of four members each. There is a técnicos team—the good guys, and the rudos team—the nasty guys. Booing the nasty guys is sooooo much fun! They came over and grabbed some of the signs I’d made, right out of my friends’ hands, and ripped them to shreds. My girlfriends scolded them and enjoyed themselves to pieces yelling at and then posing with them.
Our son had several young adult friends with him, and I haven’t seen them so happy since Carnavál.
If you are like me, and you haven’t really been to Lucha Libre, because you weren’t expecting to like it much, I’d recommend you reconsider. Going in a large group, revving everyone up for the event, and having some noisemakers, t-shirts, and signs to make sure the event is fully enjoyed, will really help.
Beer is sold in the Cancha German Evers, and usually you can get ceviche or salchichas or some other snacks as well. Masks are sold, as well as some other toys for the kids, and a guy walks around selling peanuts and chips. Highly recommended.
La Cancha German Evers/German Evers Gymnasium is way up at the beginning of Zaragoza. It is across the street from the girl’s orphanage. Remember that Zaragoza is a one-way street. Both boxing and lucha libre are held here. Taxis and pulmonías wait out front to take people home after the events.
People ask me how they can know when there is a lucha libre or a boxing match. The sports section of the newspaper is the easiest bet. These events are also announced on radio and television sports programs (shot of me below on TV with El Angel), and on posters all over town. Keep your eyes and ears open!
Tony, congratulations on an outstanding career! Thank you for doing so much to promote the sport in Mazatlán and throughout the Americas! We are proud to call you friend. And everyone who joined us, thank you for coming and for making this night so very special for Tony! PS, the mask-maker was VERY psyched to sell so much last night, and hopefully he’ll now be able to get his hip surgery done!
In the many years we’ve loved Mazatlán, a whole lot has changed. In the six years that we have lived here full time, one hugely noticeable difference is the focus on sports. It perhaps started with the Triathlon del Pacífico, now a hugely successful annual event.
We live on the malecón, right in front of the baseball stadium, and every weekend it seems there is at least one sporting event: a marathon, fun run, swim, bike, or mini-triathlon. Yesterday there was a big run in the Bosque/City Park. All weekend is the 4-wheeler/off-road race, Ruta PataSalada. This morning is another run in the Bosque, and, wonderfully for us, a 2 km obstacle course race on the beach in front of our house.
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Participants, as you can see in the slideshow above, had to crawl, military style, under yellow tape. In another challenge they had to climb over huge sandbags and a pile of tires. The greatest part, however, was the finish. A fun-loving group of school kids dressed as Lucha Libre wrestlers jumped on and attempted to tackle the competitors as each of them reached the finish line. Can you imagine running in the sand, navigating obstacles and when the finish line is finally in sight, a line of would be luchadores is waiting for you? It was a total hoot as you can see in the video below:
Mexico surpassed the USA in 2013 to become the country with the highest rate of obesity in the world—33% of Mexicans are overweight. Mexico still ranks second behind the US in rates of diabetes—one in six people here have the disease, and 70,000 Mexicans a year die from it. This change in the culture of our city, to get people out and moving, and most importantly, enjoying themselves while doing it, is an enormously welcome culture change!
One frustration is that it is often hard to get good facts about events like today’s. They are advertised on the radio, in some of the fitness centers around town and sometimes mentioned in the paper. Luckily, we have two very good sources here in Mazatlan. The Mazatlan Running Group page on Facebook is a great source of information on various runs in the area. There is also an awesome blog called Carreras atléticas en Mazatlán. I do not know the writer of this blog, Xavier Padilla, but he takes a lot of time to find all of the information about running events as it becomes available here in Mazatlan. Gracias Xavier.
Greg sat out today as he is training for the 5 and 10K next weekend at the army base. We have always wanted to go to the base as it has truly unique views of Mazatlan. Greg practices running hills each week, so whatever the Mexican army has in store for him should not be too much of an issue. There is also another larger obstacle type race on April 12, the beginning of Semana Santa. This race will be in the Golden Zone at or near the paintball facility. It’s called La Carrera de la Bestia or The Run of the Beast. You can read about it on the blog in the paragraph above, but here is a picture of the course—get your reading glasses ready:
This the course for the Run of the Beast on April 12, 2014
As you can see, it has a pool of mud, a labyrinth, walls, a pool of ice and many more challenges. If we were not leaving town, Greg would be in this for sure. Hopefully some of you will sign up and report back—guest blog posts are welcome.
Stretch before and after, hydrate and train—see you outside!
¡VidaMaz! 