3 months in Mazatlan

We've been here in Mazatlan for 3 months now. Many of you may be wondering what we do with our time down here. Sometimes, as we reflect on our days, we too wonder what we do with our time. Our days seem to fly by with always something interesting, fun and rewarding to do.


This year, we have had some concerns however with the drug cartel problem in Mexico. In fact, there have been more drug related shootings in Mazatlan than ever before. The violence has made it's way to Mazatlan and we now feel a little less secure than we have in the past. We do hope and pray the situation will turn around someday but we don't really feel like that will be any time soon. We're careful where we spend our time in Maz and haven't ventured out into the small villages outside Maz this year. We are staying pretty close to home and try not to be out after dark.


Of course, our days are spent enjoying the beautiful weather. Mazatlan is just 15 miles south of the Tropic of Cancer and on the same latitude as Hawaii and the southern Bahamas. We enjoy the pleasant semi-tropical conditions with dry moderate winters. The average temperature is 77 F. We only stay through May. With the high humidity in the summer, the weather can be rather uncomfortable, at least for us. During the months of Dec - May, which is when we are down here, the weather is just about perfect.


We love the relaxed rhythm of life here, the great Mexican food and drinks and the cultural activities the city offers. Even though many of these activities, at times, involve loud, obnoxious music, it's all part of the Mexican culture which makes Mazatlan, Mexico unique. We enjoy performances at the Angela Peralta Theater, spending evenings in the Plazeula Machado for dinner or just enjoying the ambiance of this magical place in Old Mazatlan, scouting out new restaurants and places to watch the sunset. And, of course, the many events, such as, the Marathon, Carnaval, Triathlon, etc. Some of the events that occur during the time we are here we don't enjoy so much. Such as, Motocycle week. We'll be headed to our timeshare, Torres, during that week in April.


This year we have been concentrating on getting more exercise. We have been trying to do some form of exercise at least 6 days a week. We walk the malecon, workout in our gym, Greg climbs the 14 flights of stairs and I take Yoga and Zumba classes. We've been trying to consume more of the great variety of fish available here in Maz too.


We'll be headed back to Yakima, Washington the end of May after my sister, Martha, her husband John and their children, Kyle and Ali visit. They will just be here a few days but we are excited to see them. They have to leave on May 10th. We're hoping to make it home for the birth of of Joel and Joyce's baby girl, Jenna Mae, due May 26th.