Old Mazatlan, a panga and a mercado

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Geo: 23.2019, -106.421

After delighting us with our sidewalk entrance into Alamos, our sand "road" into Las Glorias, and the Road from Hell into Tres Amigos, tall Bob and Donna next took us on a squat rowboat/ferry ride over into old Mazatlan.

Monday was Dia de Reyes--Day of Kings, when Mexican children receive gifts --Christmas all over again-- and everyone eats kings' bread--a kind of sweet bread decorated with colorful fruits. We saw the breads everywhere--in the markets and being sold by street vendors.

We took the panga, the local ferry, over to old Mazatlan for less than a quarter. There you can catch an open air taxi -- a small 4 person vehicle built on a volkswagon chassis; it will take you anywhere.

We've been to hundreds of markets throughout South and Central America, Thailand and India, and nowhere have we seen a cleaner one. India's was the smelliest, Thailand's the most unique, Latin America's all kind of blur together--interesting, fun and predictable. But Mazatlan's is by far the cleanest and best maintained. I wouldn't be afraid to buy beef, chicken, pork, fish--any of it here. There were no flies and even the fish market had no fishy smell. It was marvelous. Tall Bob tells us that fish laid out for sale one day is not allowed to be out the next day, too. They must have other strict rules also, because it was noticeably different.

We did the town, had lunch along the Malecon and headed back to our park on Isla de la Piedra--Stone Island.

You can find some very good blogs about Tres Amigos, the island and Mazatlan itself on the web for those interested in knowing what's going on there.

The minute we had driven in to Tres Amigos we were immediately welcomed and given a quick tour of the island, invited to a park-wide party to send off a couple leaving after 3 weeks, invited the next evening to some classical guitar and sunset watching and then there was the boatload of welcomes and why-don't-you-stay-longers.

Happily we were there when the produce man came--pretty cool to have produce and pastries delivered right to your doorstep--and again when the water man came bringing 5 gallon containers of purified water.

But next day we were heading south again.

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Comments

[Maggie]

Glad your enjoying life the way it should be.