Free enterprise in Mazatlan

I am writing this to salute the enterprise of the people of Mexico and Mazatlan in particular. I am especially impressed with how hard the people work, often to make just above survival income.

The first instance of this is the unoffical parking attendant, carwasher. Mazatlan does not have parking meters, but most blocks have their resident car watcher, car wash attendant. This is a man that stays on his block all day and into the evening. Although there is no charge to park, most realize that a small propina, (tip), will assure that your car will not be broken into, keyed, etc. Five pesos is generally adaquate. As this is about 40 some cents, this is cheap parking with a guarantee of safety for you car. Also, this same person will wash your car while you are out doing your business for around 50 pesos. Although we first balked at this, now we often avail ourselves of this service. With the use of a couple of rags and a bucket of water, you car is shiny when you return. These men carry themselves with pride and dignity as they support their family in a way they know.

One day last fall we were walking down the street when a bicyclist stopped to talk to us. He turned out to be a dentist and he gave us his card. Although skeptical of his approach to drum up business I reported to his office when my cleaning was due. It turns out he is a highly skilled dentist with certifications in endodonics and restorative dentistry. He personally cleaned and polished my teeth with the latest equipment. He also performed a checkup and discovered one small cavity. He said it would probably be okay to wait until I returned in the fall, but I scheduled an appointment with him to have it filled. The cost of the cleaning and check up was 300 pesos, around $25. He filled the tooth for $40 on my next appointment. Of note is I didn't know he had given me the shot to numb the area of the filling until I started feeling the numbness. I thought he had just been preparing my mouth for the shot, but he had already done it with absolutely no pain. With this and a cleaning last spring, my years dental expense was well under $100.

Alehandro and his crew maintain the community where we live. They keep both pools clean, all the lawns mowed, all the plants watered, and trim the palms. On top of this, this crew is available to perform almost any side job needed for a propina, (tip). Many people in Marina Gardens have hired Alehandro and his crew to do many jobs, both skilled and unskilled. I would guess that they make as much or more from the extra services that they perform after their work day is over than they make with their pool maintainance and landscape contracts. We have been happy with their work that they perform with integrity and a smile.

We continue to be impressed with the ingenuity and dignity of the hard working Mexican people. This is the great majority of the people of our adopted city in traditional jobs or in jobs they have created. They ethic here is that all work has dignity. Again, we salute our hard working Mexican hosts.

My brother, the tour guide; Joanne and Kenny: El Quelite

Hola all of our amigas Y amigos,
Life continues in Mazatlan for the run away Whitakers. Joel, Janice, and Ollie continue to be healthy, happy, and busy.

My first note is on my brother Steve. Steve was always the quiet man in our family. Last year he visited us for 8 days and soon after had us find him an apartment in Mazatlan. He now lives here six months a year. Mazatlan has done quite a change on Steve. This quiet man has come out of his shell and is a volunteer tourist aid. He walks a regular route two or three days a weeks along the Malecon, Olas Altas, and into Centro. He has his Mazatlan Volunteer Tourist Aid Blue shirt on. He approaches tourists that look like they need help finding their way around, advice on good places to see, eat, and how to read a map. A big part of his job is assuring frightened people that Mazatlan is a good place to visit and to relax and enjoy it. Steve approaches people many times a day and thoroughly enjoys it. He also is regularly the high scorer at three times a week bridge games that usually have 7 or 8 tables of players. I have a feeling that within a couple of years, Steve will be known as Mr. Mazatlan.

Another joy was the visit of daughter Joanne and grandson Kenny. Joanne and Kenny live in Spokane, Washington. Joanne has a very responsible position and has to travel part of the time. She wanted this time with us to relax, slow her life down, and get some time with Kenny. Joanne and Kenny got several beach days together. He is 12 and a seventh grader. We are proud of him and his mom who has raised him on her own. Grandpa and Kenny got two boogey boarding outings and he taught grandpa to ride the waves. Joanne attended a fashion show with Janice, a girls night out with Janice and friends, massage, manicure, and other fun things with mom. Nothing on this trip was in a hurry and we could tell that the nine days here were just what the Dr. ordered. Among fun outings for the four of us, was Mexican Fiesta night at The Last Drop, and of course, awesome rib dinners at Fat Fish. On Tuesday March 15 we dropped them at the airport for their flight home. It ended up their flight was cancelled. The airline put them up at The Playa Mazatlan, gave them meal and taxi coupons, and they ended up flying home on the 16th. We are hoping they will return for Christmas.

On St. Patrick's Day we drove to El Quelite with friends Patrick and Sandra. El Quelite is a small village about 25 miles north of Mazatlan. We arrived there around 11:15 and got our lunch reservation at Meson de los Laureanos, a wonderful restaurant that also has a Mexican Cultural show on Thursdays. We explored the town while waiting for lunch time to come. We went to the farm where fighting cocks are raised. There were a lot of beautiful roosters, but not sure if we like what they were being bred for. The farm overlooks a beautiful cemetery that is full of flowers and many festive decorations. We walked down the streets and saw some beautiful cactus and colorful homes. We stopped at their bakery which is reputed to have the best baked goods around. We bought a bagful of rolls, pastries, etc for a sum total of 25 pesos, a little over two dollars. We then returned to our restaurant and enjoyed a couple of cervezas and margaritas while waiting for the show to start. We also enjoyed excellent Mexican meals. The show was to start at 12:30, but a tour group was late so the show didn't start until 1:20. There were Mexican dancers with beautiful costumes. An interesting point was the German influence on the area's dances. Many Germans settled in the area well over 100 years ago and brought good beer and oompa music. The dances had a polka influence. Janice and I were pulled from the crowd twice and danced with the dancers. Patrick and Sandra took pictures. Hopefully, some will make their way to this blog. Also, there were Aztec fire dances and the beautiful Eagle dance in Aztec costume. After the show was over the Aztec dancers played a traditional game where a ball is passed only by way of the hips. They were quite skilled. We enjoyed close to three hours at Meson de los Laureanos. We would recommend this place including getting your picture taken with Lola, their MacCaw.

Life continues busy as Janice is planning a girlfriends tea party on the 30th of March. Janice also has taken more art lessons, this time in water color and is putting out some paintings that show promise for her.  She continues to have the monthly wine tasting group and has enjoyed the help of a friend of hers. We are both talking about ideas for when we return to Mazatlan in Sept. how we can get more involved in the community.
We are doing some great things that entertain us, but now it's time we do something that is helpful to this wonderful to us. Ollie has been having problems with itching here. He looses hair and constantly itches and not only does it drive him nuts, it drives us nuts. We've changed his food, had the place fumigated, given him supplements, had him see the vet and still unsure what is going on with him. Other then that, he loves being here with us. Joel continues to work at the library. We are now are starting to think of our return north in May. This trip, if we go straight to Spokane will take about 5 days. This winter has gone fast. When you live in paradise time does not drag.in paradise time does not drag.

We are also working on our plans for our trip to Europe for June and July. We've gotten our flights, and the lodging for Spain for the month of June. We are now working on the second part of our trip. That may take a bit longer as we are finding that Ireland is out of sight price wise. Mostly for food and car rental. B & B's aren't too bad and those are always fun as you get to meet the locals and find out more about their culture that way. Stay tune to this and we'll let you know where we will be heading.

Until next time,
Adios, Joel, Janice, and Ollie

Barras de Piaxtla and Petroglyphs

Saturday, February 19th we packed up the van, Ollie jumped in, and we picked up our friends. We then headed up the Autopista, the toll road, to Barras de Piaxtla for a short change of pace vacation. The approach to Piaxtla is unusual as the exit is not marked. At the 59 kilometer mark you drive under an overpass, exit the highway and find a narrow dirt path. You follow this one lane path until you hit the road that takes you back over the Autopista and towards Piaxtla. The house we were going to is about 7 kilometers, 4 1/2 miles. The road is narrow, dusty, and marked with major potholes, rocks, etc. We averaged about 15 MPH driving this road. Along the roadside were thickets, cactus, hawks and vultures perched watching us and probably hoping that we would break down.

We finally arrived at Piaxtla. The first thing you see is their Little League baseball field. There is no grass and is very rocky, but is used often. Once inside the village we turned uphill to the house where would would stay until Tuesday. A woman from next door had the keys and turned on the propane so we could cook. The house is comfortable with two bedrooms and a patio that overlooks the beach and bay. There is a long, flat beach that ends at a working lighthouse. On the beach are fishing boats, most in need of paint jobs. These are working boats. Piaxtla is primarily a fishing village with approximately 450 residents. When we walked in the village we saw fisherman unloading their catch in large milk crates. Piaxtla is on a peninsula with sand beaches on both sides. The streets are dirt and the homes small and basic. There were a lot of kids around. Our friend always carries candy in his backpack and passed out a lot to the kids. Although you could tell that most lived at a subsistence level the kids looked healthy, happy, and well cared for. At least twice they called out, "there is Santa Claus". For some reason in Mazatlan and now in Piaxtla, Mexican children seem to think I look like Santa with my bushy, white beard.

Our days just seemed to pass. My firend and I took the fishing poles out every morning, but we seemed to leave the fish for those that needed to make a living from them. The two ladies spent a lot of time with their water colors trying to capture the ambience of Piaxtla.

There was a small cafe named La Jardin that was owned by a gringo surfer named Danny. He had arrived in Piaxtla ten years ago, married a local girl, and has had several businesses. We stopped there for some powerful Margaritas, but never ate there. We ate only one meal out at El Mirador which was next door to our house and had a huge deck overlooking the bay with views to die for. We were the only customers and had a three hour lunch. We also saw an interesting Bed and Breakfast, Cabanas de la Rosa, owned and operated by a woman originally from Bellingham, Washington. The B & B is a work of art. She has made all the furniture, done all the inlay work, and built the casitas. If you wish to stay on the beach and feel like you are in Mexico I would recommend this place. http://www.larosadelasbarras.com/

Among the sights were arches carved by the water through rock. When walking Ollie on the beach we kept a close eye on him as the vultures and Cooper Hawks seemed to lick their beaks when flying overhead. On our last day we returned to the Autopista and drove back to the 50 kilometer marker to exit the highway to view the Petroglyphs. These are carvings in the rocks dating back to around 1000 A.D. The rocks were strewn all over a beach. Janice took around 100 different pictures of all the petroglyphs but following are a few we saw of the markings. Some had heads that looked like space aliens and others were familiar designs that you now see on handicrafts. They all have a place in an ancient religion. In March at the Spring Solstice they have ceremonies by the descendants of the carvers. 

We enjoyed a time of relaxation without TV, phone, or internet. The only issue was there was no hot water where we stayed, so sponge baths or cold showers were necessary. After driving home and dropping our friends off, we showered and I took a dip in the pool. Mazatlan is home and I have a feeling that we would get restless if we stayed a long time, but this was a welcome slowdown from our busy lives.

Life Speeds By

As we are now settled in Mazatlan as our home, the blogs get further apart. We seem to have such a full calendar of activities that time seems to just pass quickly. It seems like we just arrived, but it was over four months ago. In only two and a half months we have to leave again for the north and then on to Spain and Ireland. Although I am looking forward to spending a month in each country, I am looking forward to our return to Mazatlan in mid-September.

We are becoming very fond of not only the Mexican people and culture, but also enjoy the quirkiness of the expatriate community. Our Mexican hosts have a wonderful, varied way of looking and the world. Sometimes they do things that are incomprehensible to we northerners who tend to think linear. The other day I was waiting for a bus when I saw a Taxi double parked in the right lane of traffic. The taxi looked empty. When I got closer I saw that the driver's seat was down and the driver was taking a nap. Cars in the lane just swerved to the left lane and passed. None of the passing drivers were particularly upset and obviously the taxi driver was not worried about someone crashing into him. This was not the first time I observed this happening. Also, almost daily I hear of a kindness that has been done to an expatriate or a tourist by a local citizen. One friend has Mexican neighbors that have befriended him and take him fishing with them although they speak little English and he is still learning Spanish. I have had Mexican neighbors stop on the street and give me rides as I wait for my bus. Sometimes I know they went out of their way to pick me up. Our landlord kindly lets us use his home in a small fishing village north of here to take a relaxing weekend out of the hustle and bustle of the city. He does not charge us for this. On a previous blog I related how our Mexican groundskeeper yanked the battery out of his truck and put it in a friend's car so he could start it and drive to Wal-Mart for a new battery. The reason I list these incidents, which are just the tip of the iceberg is that so many people take the "exception reporting" of the north of the border media as representative of what is happening in Mexico. Good news doesn't sell papers.

The expatriate community is also interesting. The bulk of the year round expatriate community is from the US with a strong representation of Canadians. Canadians outnumber people from the US in the snowbird category, people that spend two to six months in the winter. Canadians need to spend at least six months a year in Canada or their medical benefits are suspended. Canada takes good care of their population medically, so those benefits would be painful to lose. Where we live in an enclave of mostly snowbirds and as such are mostly normal middle and professional class Canadians and Americans. The area is secure, the landscaping and pool are well maintained. I enjoy living here due to feeling Janice and Ollie are secure at night and there are always helpful neighbors in case of emergency. Many of our Centro friends enjoy visiting us here, but would never live here. That said, the Centro Historico area is a more interesting place. The architecture is more traditional and many buildings are being refurbished in a manner that doesn't change their Mexican flavor. Also, this area is where the more diverse, interesting people live. As a result I jump on busses almost daily to activities in Centro. Working at the library is a special treat as I get to talk to such a varied group of people. There is everything from people living on next to nothing to millionaires. There are people all over the map politically and philosophically. This is especially attractive as you learn so much more when meeting people who have a different slant on life and political issues than you do. It helps keep from getting narrow minded in our old age. The dress is also varied. There are those that dress in country club chic to 60's tie-dye. The bulk just dresses casual with shorts, tee-shirts or other causal tops, sandals, etc. There are a lot of men with gray ponytails and not much on top. The variety of beards and hair styles cross all varieties. I have met people that are retired CEO's of major companies and people that have just worked marginally and are living marginally. From appearances, often you can't tell them apart. There are people that live in large and small boats in the Marina. Outside of the country club types, it is hard to tell one's economic status and most people just don't care. Centro suffers frequent water shortages and a variety of small inconveniences.

Janice also enjoys Centro and the activities with friends there. Tomorrow night we will go to El Shrimp Bucket" in Centro for a Mardi Gras Jazz concert and celebration with friends. A week after we will go for a night at the Opera at the Angela Peratla Theatre on the Plazuela Machado in Centro. Centro is where you go for culture. The expatriate community tries to give back to the community. We attended four benefits for different cause in four weekends. There are others we have had to pass up. While there are a few "Ugly Americans/Canadians" here the vast majority strive to fit in with and interact with our Mexican neighbors and accept their culture rather than trying to prove superiority.

So much for pontificating. I hope that our readers get a better feel for Mazatlan and will come to see for yourselves. Many that come return often. Next month I will describe our four day power loafing and fishing expedition to Barras de Piaxtla, a village of 450 people about 40 miles up the coast. Also I will bring you up to date on the new volunteer tour aid program those of us that live in Mazatlan have started to help give information to Cruise ship passengers and others staying here as tourists, about security and how to get around in Mazatlan. My brother Steve has already been on Olas Altas assisting visitors. Also, Carnival, Mazatlan's Mardi Gras is from March 1-8, so hopefully I will report on that.

Until our next time, Joel, Janice and Ollie say "La Vida is Buena"

No longer Tourists

We have not blogged for over a month. Life has changed in Mazatlan and we have both noticed that no longer are we visitors, but have changed to members of the Mazatlan community.

The first and least subtle is that I now have my FM-3 card. This changes your status from tourist to legal resident of Mexico. This allows the holder to stay in Mexico longer than the six months the tourist visa allows. The holder is able to keep a vehicle for an unlimited time in Mexico and can import furniture and other needed items without paying duty as long as it is for personal use. It also qualifies you for the Mexican medical plan, which is similar to Canada's and cost around $300 a year for full coverage. It also qualifies you for the "senior card" that give you 50% discounts on many items such as bus travel, etc for those over 60.

Janice, the wine lady of Mazatlan, is well known on the streets and is often stopped by friends and acquaintances. She was with someone last week who commented, you must know half the gringos in Mazatlan. Next week she will be helping at an event to help someone recovering from cancer surgery and is helping arrange the benefit for the library on January 30th. Not only do many gringos know her, but many Mexican people also count her as an acquaintance. Her welcoming smile is well known on the streets of our adopted city.

Joel, also known as jus-ducky, is also becoming a fixture. By letting his beard grow full and wearing his Greek fisherman's cap several have labeled him "The Old Man and the Sea". Our son-in-law in Lake Stevens first mentioned it, but it has been repeated independently by Mazatlan friends. I knew I was part of the local color when last Friday some tourists asked to take my picture. Often while riding local busses both of us offer advice to tourists and others new in town. We tell them of neat places to see, good places to eat, good grocery stores, etc. Yesterday I was waiting for a bus and heard someone shout, hey there is Mr. Potato! Two people in their 50's and their daughter came up to me. They said they nicknamed me Mr. Potato as I had shown them where to get "papas locos", crazy potatoes which they loved. I also had advised them to eat at "Fat Fish" where you get two full racks of barbecued ribs and the trimmings for around $12-$13 total. They had been there twice and were going back once more before they had to return to winter.

We have been living in the northern part of Mazatlan, but our hearts and most of our activities are in the Centro Historico, so eventually I suspect we will end up living there in the heart of the action.

We have been saddened by the negative reports on Mexico travel. The slowdown in tourist trade is noticeable and unnecessary. Friends, come to Mazatlan and we will show you how to have a safe, fun, and extremely memorable experience.

Janice continues to play Canasta with friends every Tuesday, work on her art, organize monthly wine tasting gatherings, walk every morning with friends, have girlfriend lunches and is enjoying good health and spirits. I continue to play bridge a couple times a week, work the library once a week, meet friends for lunch, go to brotherhood of beans and beer on Wednesdays. We manage to have date nights and enjoy being a couple as well as our individual activities.

My brother Steve continues to flourish here and I enjoy seeing him often. Both he and I agree on the editor of "M" Magazines latest comment in the magazine. She quoted W. Somerset Maugham and we agreed the quote pertained to both of us.
"I have an idea that some men are born out of their due place. Accident has cast them amid strangers in their birthplace, and the leafy lanes they have known in childhood or the populous streets in which they have played remain but a place of passage. They may spend their whole lives alien among their kindred and aloof among the only scenes they have ever known. Perhaps it is this sense of strangeness that sends men far and wide in the search for something permanent to which they may attach themselves...................Sometimes a man hits upon a place to which he mysteriously feels he belongs. Here is the home he sought, and he will settle among scenes that he has never seen before, among men he has never known, as though they were familiar to him from his birth. Here at last he finds rest."

Until next time we repeat our mantra, "la vida es buena", life is good.

Collection of Hand Painted Shells

I have started a new collection of these fun and creative shells from the beaches of Mazatlan.  They are all individually painted.  It wouldn't surprise me and soon we will see them in many of the art studios around Mazatlan.  Life is always interesting here and you find the most eclectic people that know how to share their talents with all of us. Here is a sampling.

The recent shells added here are my Christmas Shells I've painted for the grandkids.  They each already had a little hole in the top to add a bit of wire for an ornament.  I hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I enjoy painting them.

Now we proceed to Plan "B" (or I have good news and bad news)

Today's blog is not for the faint of heart. If all remember the old TV show "Gilligan's Island", our trip to Guadalajara and close by points resembled this. It even included some of the characters. I won't identify them by name, but some will be recognized.

Today is the third day after our return and things have faded enough to where I can now laugh about them. I now place in one editorial opinion. If you have a personality type that requires everything to go your way and you suffer if it doesn't, please stay in your safe little cocoon and remain up north or if in Mexico in your imported Anglo community. Janice and I are ones that celebrate our host country and feel as guests it is not our job to change the way things are, but to learn from the way things are.

So now, all aboard the SS Minnow, aka Sunny Ventures tour. Thirty passengers, our tour guide, her friend, and one bus driver left Mazatlan for Tonala a little after 9:00 A.M on Wednesday December 1. There were supposed to be two bus drivers, but for some reason one didn't show up. Jose, our driver, felt up to the task and we took off. From the start, we knew that there might be some unpleasantness when during introductions, Mrs. Thurston Howell announced the bus stank and then started a lament on how Mexico was not a great place anymore because of the drug violence. There was no smell noticed by the rest of us so we all shrugged this off as we know that all personality types are found in 30 people anywhere. We were all enjoying our bus ride, meeting new friends, when all of a sudden about halfway between Tepic and Guadalajara our bus came to a halt on an uphill stretch. All electrical systems shut down. This included the electric doors. Jose could not figure out how to open the bus doors, so we were all encased in the bus when the sun was high and the air conditioning not working. Jose invited some of the men to try and open the front door while he climbed to the top of the bus through a door in the ceiling. I went to the back door and couldn't get this door open, so rested a couple of minutes and then tried again. Luckily, I found the little handle and after some grunting and twisting, the handle budged and the door sprang open. The fresh air pouring in was welcome as the windows were also locked. Jose then came down from the roof and was able to open the front door from the outside. He called his company several times and was assured help was on the way. Jose then started working on the electrical system and announced he had found the problem and would get the bus going in 10 minutes. 30 minutes later, this appeared to be unlikely. So a little later he announced that a mechanic was on the way and would be here in one half hour. Some of the passengers got restless and flagged down a passing bus that happened to be empty. I think I remember this bus from the 60's when I rode it on a local line before it was put out of service. The bus driver agreed to take everyone to Guadalajara for $100 pesos a person. Our guide made an executive decision and we all got on the bus. There was some trepidation as many had left medications, etc in their luggage that would be needed before the day was done or the next day at the latest. The new bus driver announced that he was not licensed to drive in Tonala where out hotel was located. When we got to Guadalajara, he decided he could possibly drop us in Tonala, but an additional 20-25 pesos a person ended up as a result. We arrived safely at our hotel about 6:30 P.M., our original ETA was 3:30. We went to a good restaurant that our guide had recommended and enjoyed a good meal and some liquid tranquilizers. When we returned to the hotel our bus was there with all our luggage. It turned out that another bus had been sent and arrived five minutes after we got on the other bus. When they found us gone, the mechanic that came with the other bus fixed our bus and sent it on the way to Tonala. Thus ended day one.

Day two was scheduled with one of two plans. People could either stay and shop the Mexico’s largest outdoor market in Tonala all day or they could ride our bus to Ajijic on Lake Chapala for lunch and sightseeing. Janice and I chose to go to Lake Chapala as we wished to see if this was a place we would want to stay over the hot summer months. We were also scheduled to finish the trip with a couple of hours at a spa with therapeutic mineral waters. This is where things started to go south. Two of the people that decided to come to Ajijic had failed to read the itinerary, so had missed the part about packing a swimsuit. We had only a short time to enjoy the waterfront in Chapala due to losing an hour or more for the two to find swimsuits at WalMart. There was a spirited discussion among some of the passengers of how this could have been handled in a way that didn't lose the majority their time to enjoy the very short time we had. In Ajijic the bus spent about 15-20 minutes driving up and down the main road trying to find where the restaurant was and then where we could be let off close to the restaurant. We ate lunch at a restaurant in Ajijic that was in a beautiful setting, but the food was very ordinary. We had 10 minutes after lunch to explore Ajijic before catching the bus, so this was a disappointment. Then we were driven to the mineral springs outside of Ajijic. Although it was known that we were going there, there had been no arrangements made ahead to get a group rate, so we paid $150 pesos a person the enter the springs. Although the springs were nice, they cost more than Fairmont Hot Springs in Canada where we had been a few months before. Rather expensive for Mexico. After a couple of hours at the springs, we got on the bus to return to Tonala as we had to be back for a 5:30 wine and cheese party for all on the tour. All went well until just outside of Guadalajara our bus pulled into a Pemex gas station. Our stomachs sank as we thought, here we go again. The driver got some water and poured it into the engine and soon we were on our way. It looked like we would just make it in time to set up the wine and cheese party. Alas, we had failed to take into account that Guadalajara is the second largest city in Mexico with a population of millions and we were returning in rush hour. We arrived closer to 6:30, but several of us helped our guide open wine bottles and slice cheese, so the party was held. All that had gone to Ajijic regretted not staying in Tonala with the others who reported their day was enjoyable.

Day three turned out to be the best day of the trip. Around 10:00 the entire group took the bus to Tlaquepaque. This is a high end town with a beautiful shopping area and architecture. Even those of us that didn't like to shop enjoyed the art work and beautiful streets, many that were blocked to cars. Some of us enjoyed a drink or two while people watching. We then all met at a restaurant where the food was good and as a highlight we were able to enjoy the music of an all female Mariachi band. What was enjoyable was that they played many non-typical Mariachi songs and were all accomplished musicians. For those reading this up north, Mariachis vary in quality and often play a very limited repertoire of songs they think gringos like. After hearing these tunes a few times, you tend to shy away from Mariachis. When we got on the bus back to our hotel in Tonala all agreed this was the best part of the trip. A couple of the men agreed with me that they had been skeptical of this part, but had been pleasantly surprised. We then returned to the hotel without a hitch!! Many of us enjoyed walking to the cathedral square in Tonala and grazing off the food carts for our dinner. It was a great place. Loads of children were all over and had lined up across the square to receive free Coca Cola and balloons.

Day four started out fine. We all got on the bus to downtown Guadalajara. Many of us were dropped in a scenic area with a map and an agreed place to meet for lunch. We were told which spot on our map was the scenic hotel that had the restaurant where we would meet for lunch. Then about 10 of our number were transported to the Zoo which was an option for the day. They were to be bused back at 1:30 to meet everyone for lunch. This turned out to not go well for the Zoo visitors as it turned out they had only two hours for what all agreed that four hours was needed to fully appreciate and see the zoo. Janice and I took a carriage ride around the historic sites and plazas. It was enjoyable. Our driver knew no English, but I was able to understand most of what he was pointing out. We then walked through the many beautiful plazas and viewed the beautiful buildings and several cathedrals that had awesome Gothic and Baroque spires. Around the 2:00 lunch meeting time we arrived at the spot in the map that had been indicated where we should meet for lunch. Alas, there was only a 7-11 store there. We then met two of our fellow travelers who also had not found our lunch spot. They pointed out to us where there were artist drawing on the sidewalks close to us. They were doing reproductions on the sidewalks of many classical paintings. The art work was awesome. Our friends waited for us and then we all walked to a restaurant that our carriage driver had pointed out to us as having authentic Guadalajara food and was popular with the locals. He was right, the place was full and there were probably 15 people ahead of us. As all were in need of cerveza from walking for several hours our friend asked an employee of the restaurant if there was cerveza on the menu. Not only did they tell us, yes they had cold beer, they sent out someone with a large tray full of beer and gave free beer to all of us standing in the sun waiting to get in. After about a 20 minute wait we were seated. The food and service were great. We were probably the only gringos there. Our carriage driver had not steered us wrong. After a leisurely lunch we walked back to where we were to wait for the bus to take us back to Tonala. We met some of the people that had gone to the Zoo, they had a double disappointment. Not only had they too short a time at the Zoo, when they got back they had no idea where lunch was to be. Most found places and enjoyed the multi-leveled market near where our bus was to pick us up. All were assembled at the agreed on 4:30 meeting time. Alas, no bus was there to pick us up. Rather than waiting for us the way many other tour buses there had done, our drivers took the bus somewhere and then took no account that again it was rush hour in a city of unknown millions of people. About 5:00 we had a call that they were on their way and would be there soon. Around 5:30 they finally arrived. Again, a 5:30 wine and cheese gathering was scheduled, so at a little after 6:00 when we arrived back at out hotel, some of us again helped open the wine and slice the cheese. Most agreed they were glad the next day would be the final one and were ready to be back home in Mazatlan.

Sunday, our final day started out positive. The markets were open and stretched for blocks in every direction. There was a great variety and the prices were low. Janice found many bargains of things for our home. We were careful to only get easily portable things as we knew the bus had limited cargo room for all of us. I found some Pomada de Peyote that had been recommended for my arthritic ankle. Today is the fourth day I have used it and my swelling has decreased significantly. I am unsure if I can bring it back to the US as Peyote is a controlled substance, but it really has provided relief. After our shopping and checking out of our hotel, several friends and us went to a nearby restaurant for a nice lunch. It turned out to be a Mexican breakfast buffet, but it turned out tasty and we had good company. When it was time for the bus to leave another problem arose. There were some that had purchased large items and instead of arranging shipping had jammed them in the bus, limiting room and filling the bathroom, the back exit of the bus, and the isles. As there were people on the bus that needed a bathroom available due to medical needs, this did not work and was a disaster waiting to happen in case of emergency. This was a tense time. Finally a truck was hired to follow with the large items. This cost $4500 pesos and I am unsure if our guide was able to be reimbursed for her outlay by those that had purchased larger items. There were several heated moments, but all calmed down and thankfully the drive back to Mazatlan was uneventful. We pulled into the Wal-Mart parking lot about 8:30 in the evening and all were glad to be home.

Some final comments; This was the representatives’ maiden voyage for leading a tour alone. Under the circumstances, she kept it together for the most part. I would not have wanted to be in her place. The high points of this trip were getting to meet some wonderful people, see some new and interesting places and see the beautiful art work of the people of Mexico. The negatives were the bus problems, some miscommunications, and unexpected expenses. The great majority rolled with the flow and as I said at the start, there were a few that probably should return north where they will be safe and people will behave in a manner predictable to them. Also, Sunny Ventures should have a frank talk with the bus company, as they failed first to provide the two drivers promised the first day and the bus was in poor mechanical condition. Also, Sunny Ventures should reevaluate how it will handle some of the issues that came up and have a plan from the beginning so people know what is expected.  I left out names on purpose, as they used to say in the old Dragnet program, "the names have been changed to protect the innocent".