Tag Archives: Mazatlan

Circo Machado

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The unicyclist and a performer on stilts watch the performance in the kiosk.

I was very excited to attend one of my beloved pasacalles, or street parade performances, last night in the Plazuela. It was called “Circo Machado,” and it was the closing event of this year’s International Theater Festival, Escena Mazatlán 2016. Can you believe the festival is finished already?? We all know how crowded the Machado gets on a Saturday night, filled with local families and tourists strolling about, so the event had a great crowd.

There were two performances, the first at 7:00 pm and the second following the theatrical performance in the TAP. That last one, just after 10:00, had fireworks, too. I had a party to attend, so the first one had to do it for me. And it did not disappoint!

I entered the Plazuela just before 7:00 to find it decorated with hanging umbrellas, as is so the fashion worldwide these past few years. The umbrellas were gorgeous amidst our colonial architecture, particularly with the lights of sunset in the sky overhead. Click on any photo to enlarge it or view a slideshow.

Promptly at seven 25 of the artists from Academia Dance, directed by Agustín Martínez and Aura Patrón, emerged from the Escuela de Artes de Cultura and marched joyously around all four sides of the Plaza Machado. We saw mimes, acrobats, dancers, a unicyclist, performers on stilts, and clowns.

After they made their way around the Plaza, a young woman got up on a small stage just outside the kiosk, and twirled fire for us. I happened to have a front-row view, which was fun, and I even caught Raúl Rico in a few of the shots, looking proud and happy.

Pasacalles are wonderful because the performers mingle with the people. Those on stilts danced with the crowd, particularly engaging the children. This is part of what I so love about Mazatlán: we have incredible talent, in huge variety, and so much of it is free to the public.

After the torch dance the festivities moved to the kiosk. There, we were treated to trapeze moves and aerial acrobatics, as well as dancing.

The Circo Machado ended just before 8:00, with a colorful burst of confetti.

 

3 Dead Turtles On The Malecón

dsc_0074In front of our home today was a gorgeous large sea turtle. I ran down with my camera because I thought she was going to lay her eggs.

Upon approaching, however, she stunk. She was bleeding. And her eyes were very, very dead.

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

Carlos, from PROFEPA, was there making sure no one touched her. He told me he was not officially authorized to move the turtle, and he was waiting for his boss to give him instruction. But, he said, the turtle I saw was the THIRD one found dead on the malecón this morning! Carlos assured me all three would be examined to determine the cause of death.

News That Made My Day!

IMG_2472It’s been such a busy summer for us, with over twenty different beds in the past two months. We have absolutely loved seeing great friends and family, and working hard amidst the fun, but we are sooooo ready to be home, and so very tired! Loads and loads of work to do, and miles between us and home…

Then, the mail comes today and, hey, it totally makes my whole week!

You remember a year ago, when O’Neil McGean at Café Playa Sur hosted that wonderful USA Independence Day party where we got to bash not just one but TWO Donald Trump piñatas? Well, I posted a clip of the festivities to the VidaMaz YouTube channel.

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Back at the end of April I received a message from a guy named Mike Cram, who asked my permission to use part of that YouTube clip on the Trump Bashing. Evidently he is involved in a project called “Trump Growing Nose Watch.” Having no idea what that meant, I said, “Sure, you are welcome to use the clip. Just preserve our © and a link back to our site.” I didn’t think much more about it.

Low and behold, on my birthday, August 6, Mike emailed me the promotional clip that incorporated my video footage. It highlighted our son. And oh what a hoot it gave Greg and me! Wonderful birthday gift!

Today I received an even better gift: one of the watches! On the left, normal Trump. On the right, Pinocchio Trump!

Thank you, Mike! It is truly funny. Thank you, Oneil, for hosting this event. I’ll let you borrow my watch anytime, buddy. 😉

 

Infographic on Our Malecón

A few weeks ago a lady from a marketing company contacted me, asking for information about our beloved malecón. She said she was tasked with making an infographic for a new hotel in town.

It’s always fun when someone asks you about something you love, and Lord knows I absolutely adore our malecón. It’s one of Mazatlán’s greatest treasures. I don’t know where this lady is based, but my guess is she knows nothing about Mazatlán, but was given this task. She was very nice.

A week or two later, I heard from Janet Blaser, M! Magazine, that she’d been contacted as well, and liked what the lady showed her I’d said about our malecón being the world’s largest gym.

Turns out the infographic is for the new Choice hotel, Quality Inn Mazatlán. The marketing company gave me permission to share the infographic with you. It’s pretty cool. I hope it’ll show up so that you can zoom in and read it easily.

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I rather like it. Cool to have an infographic on Mazatlán. I would have preferred a good picture of our three gorgeous islands in the bay and the killer views, but… Please let us know what you think. You may remember I did perhaps Mazatlán’s very first infographic a few years ago, about our Carnavál.

Of course, when we give input on these things, there’s never enough room for everything. Infographics are summaries. Interested in what I told the lady? Here’s my note:

My apologies, Ana; we have been traveling in Colombia for work and didn’t have a chance to respond.

The malecón to me is the world’s longest outdoor gymnasium. You can ride bicycles, in-line skate, jog, or walk. You can also do yoga on the beach, zumba, open-water swim with members of the swim club at Playa Norte, surf, standup paddle board, or parasail. You can rent a catamaran, Hoby-cat or jet ski and check out the sea lions or head out to the quiet beach on Deer Island, with killer views of the city. In addition to these many sports, there are palapa restaurants where you can sit with your toes in the sand and eat fresh shrimp, scallops, ceviche or fish.

https://vidamaz.com/2009/10/04/el-gimnasio-mas-grande-del-mundothe-worlds-biggest-gymnasium/

Carpa Olivera is one of the world’s very few ocean-fed public swimming pools, free of charge and extremely scenic.

https://vidamaz.com/2015/05/01/carpa-olivera-ocean-fed-pool-positions-mazatlan-among-worlds-elite/

Once a year locals swim out to Deer Island in the Travesía Anual:

https://vidamaz.com/2013/03/03/la-travesia-anual-annual-community-swim-from-playa-norte-to-deer-island-mazatlan/

During Carnavál, the world’s third largest, two parades go down the full length of the malecón.

https://vidamaz.com/2013/02/18/street-view-carnaval-de-mazatlan-2013-desfile-principal/

https://vidamaz.com/2012/02/22/carnaval-parade-preparations/

During the Maratón Internacional del Pacífico, there are fireworks set off from a dozen places along the malecón, making for an incredible sight.

https://vidamaz.com/2015/11/29/festival-de-la-luz-2015/

Enjoy! Have a wonderful summer, everyone!

Are You My Mother?

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You have read of the lovely rosy finch families that have nested on our deck the past 5-6 years. First it was one family, then two, and now up to three families nest on our eleventh floor terrace each spring. We love it! Click on any photo to enlarge it or view a slideshow.

Every year we are blessed to wake up to their bird song, and to hear it throughout the day. We watch as the mother and father make their nest, then as they feed their babies. They zoom in and out the windows, they dance on the railing, and they poop a LOT. The family below had three babies this year. Aren’t they cute? They climb on top of each other in order to peer out. Once in a while one or the other will get his feathers stuck on the edge. They grow so very quickly.

Then, suddenly, one day, the nest is empty. We hear no more singing, and we are sad. In the process, we usually lose one of our plants, because we stop watering it while the birds are nesting.

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This year, however, two unusual things have happened. First, one family of nesters left an egg that never hatched. How very sad! It is so, so tiny, and oh-so-precious!

Then, last night, Greg was awoken at 2 a.m. One of the small birds in the second set of nesters had either fallen or flown from the nest. He was standing on the tile floor right in front of our sliding glass door, looking in at us, and chirping his heart out! “Are you my Mommy,” he seemed to be asking.

Greg googled at 2 a.m. to read that the parents were no doubt nearby, and would take care of the bird; that we shouldn’t worry. We should just leave him alone. So we did. And he chirped all night long. Well into the morning.

Just before I left for church, we read on the Internet that it’s a wive’s tale that birds will abandon their young if humans pick them up and return them to the nest. The article cautioned, however, that young birds have parasites and germs, so it’s best to pick them up and move them with a container.

I used an old yoghurt container to gently take our baby bird and replace him in his nest. Twenty minutes later, he was down again, this time inside a pot of aloe. Again, he was chirping his heart out. I went to church, and Greg went running.

By the time we returned, our young friend was again out on the deck, looking in at us and crying. We were worried. It would appear his mother had died; we hadn’t seen her since yesterday. Then, miraculously, Daddy showed up!

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Our guess is that Mom has, sadly, disappeared. Thank goodness that this father isn’t an absentee Dad! He seems to be taking good care of the two remaining in the nest and, the one hyper-active child who keeps thinking he can fly before he’s ready.