We hailed the first of November from an American Airlines 757 high in the skies, heading SW from St. Louis to Mazatlan, Mexico.  Our reservations were for the first two weeks of November at Pueblo Bonito, our home in Mazatlan.  It's such a gorgeous, peaceful spot, and we truly enjoy our time there.  Of course, we don't sit for long once we get to Mazatlan. Too many things to do and see!  The first night, soon after we settled into our suite, we hopped the bus to see our friends, Nena & Javier, who own The Taco Factory, our favorite open-air night-time taco stand.  Over the years, Ken has made a concerted effort to learn some useful Spanish, but I've taken the lazy way, knowing that he would handle all the 'business' and I wouldn't need to know much about the language, or money system, either.  Not on this trip, though: I noticed that, as long as food was involved, I can manage to speak fairly well.  I sure didn't have any trouble saying, "Yo desayo dos tacos al pastor, por favor".  Or, later in ordering "uno mas, por favor"… easy, as long as feeding my face is the result!

Weather is always a point of interest whenever we return from a trip. You may as well know, I spend half of my time looking forward to our trips to Mazatlan, and the other half bemoaning the inevitable high humidity and heat.  Ken, on the other hand, has always maintained the humidity isn't so bad, the heat 'just right'.  Until we shared a seat on the flight from Mexico City to Mazatlan with a woman who represents a label printing company. Her mission this trip was to solve the problem of the tuna can labels curling up due to… the high humidity!  Yup, the funny little grin on my best buddy's face was evidence that he knew all along that humidity wasn't just a figment of my over-active imagination.

Even on vacation, we soon fall into a routine of sorts, and this trip was no exception.  Up by 7am, dressed and on the balcony with a glass of fresh juice by 8, then venture out to see how the world looks and enjoy a nice walk before the sun and the temperature are too high.  Breakfast at one or the other of our favorite places,  the Panama Bakery, La Mision, or La Pareja around 10am.  Wander around for a while or go on an errand, maybe a bit of sight seeing or shopping.  Back to Pueblo Bonito by one o'clock, to catch a breeze by the pool or ocean, then up to our room to rest up for a busy evening.  Usually left our room about 5:30 or 6:00pm, took a bus or pulmonia to dinner, and then spent another two or more hours enjoying a nice walk in the cool breeze of the evening.  Back to our room between 9:00 and 10:00pm, shower, rest and get ready for another busy day doing much the same the next day.  A favorite activity is stopping to visit with people we meet on the street, usually comparing great finds in restaurants or sites not to be missed.  Once in a while we come across an example of the "small world" phenomenon…. Like meeting up with a woman who was a patient in my dental office many years ago, or folks whose son lives in the same tiny town in Washington that our son works in!  Or, better yet, meeting folks who know that son and his wife very well, the woman having worked with our Amy for two years!  Hey, I just heard someone ask, "what errands, thought you were on vacation…"  Well, there are things that call for being in Mazatlan to take care of.  For one, Ken's favorite Texas-educated Optometrist is in Mazatlan, and he got new lenses for his glasses this trip.  Dr. Garcia has two offices, the one downtown is his own, the one in the Golden Zone is managed by his son, also an optometrist educated in the states.  Dr. Garcia is very thorough and Ken is happy with his new view of the world!  He also gets his shoes and boots in Mazatlan… beautiful workmanship and great fit… price?  Can't beat $18.00 to$20.00 for a well made pair of casual shoes, or $39.00 to $50.00 for a beautiful pair of boots.  His first pair of boots from Mazatlan were his daily footwear for nearly twelve years!  Good quality…

The clincher? We found an apartment complex, and are going back to spend the rest of the winter in Mazatlan!  No, I'm not kidding…. We really do love that area.  Going to put our truck & RV into storage and take what we'll need to set up housekeeping with us in the car, and will be back on the road by the middle of December.  No set dates yet, but we'll probably be back in this area to pick up where we leave off sometime in April.  Having the car without the house will give us a chance to venture out to other areas when we feel the need for more adventure.  I'll keep you posted… December's trip log oughta be interesting since it'll include tales of our trip across the US and down the coast to Mazatlan.  Be sure to check back by late December or early January…. 

Meantime, here are some links you can check out to see what we love about Mazatlan:

Pueblo Bonito (some pictures, give 'em a minute to load, then enjoy!)

Panama Bakery (the pictures only show the place, not the delicious food!)

Posada La Mision (the quaint Mexican mission style apartments we found)

Taco Factory (the best tacos, served by Nena & Javier at an outdoor restaurant)