Saturday, April 6, 2024
Our one night in Tepic ended oddly but this morning’s breakfast buffet goes a long way toward improving our opinion of the restaurant in the hotel! There are so many choices and everyone is happy!
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| Many proteins and toppings |
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| Fruit and yogurt and toppings |
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| Desserts and juices and cereals |
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| Scrambled eggs with spinach and other goodies |
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| Really loving the green juice! |
We load up the bus and are on our way to a two and a half hour cruise through a mangrove swamp. Along the way Juan tells us about the animal totems which are important to the people of this area. The eagle is the messenger that connects the people to the gods. The blue deer (Mazatlan means Land of the Deer) provides nourishment. Of course, all life comes from the ocean and the sun so they are hugely important. The Eyes of God which we saw all over last night’s hotel must have at least three separate rings and the circles above and below represent heaven and the under world.
Our boatsman is so pleased to have passengers who enjoy his world that he goes very slowly and even backs up to give us a better view of all the birds, turtles, and crocodiles that we pass! There is a great white heron, a great gray heron, a green heron, several anhingas, a boat-beaked heron and even an owl as well as some others. And there is a baby croc and a full-grown beastie, large and in charge! Juan reminds us that mangroves grow in brackish water and this river actually transition into a fresh-water environment, bringing about changes in the vegetation.
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| Detail from around the pool |
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| Beautiful decorations at the boat dock |
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| They have crocs, not gators |
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| Juan ducking under the bridge. |
At the turn-around spot, there is a small zoo, primarily featuring more crocodiles, but also a few birds and two very unhappy jaguars who pace continuously and break my heart.
There is also a large swimming area, since this is the fresh-water part of the channel, and Ginger eyes the rope swing enviously.
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| Red mangroves |
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| Starting to transition |
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Trust me - that vertical projection from the left-pointing branch on the right side of
the photo is actually an owl! |
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| Smack dab in the center of the photo, below center, is a large crocodile! |
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| Tortugas |
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| Iguana in the wild |
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| Anhinga |
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| Poor unhappy baby |
We climb back into the boat and return back upstream, and as we go under a natural bridge made of mangrove branches we see a troupe of coatimundis! (Have I mentioned that I miss my big camera? I don’t say that often but today is the day!)
We don’t go very far before we get to the Galapagos Restaurant - right on the beach sand with tables roofed by palm fronds, on Playa Las Islets in San Alas, Nayarit. It’s the end of Spring Break and lots of families are taking advantage of the beautiful weather to have one last outing. There is a stand selling fresh coconuts and several people bring back coconut shells filled with fresh coconut meat. The specialty of this area is a red snapper dish called Sarandeado and it comes by the kilo! Nine of us want that and it’s a good thing, because when the two huge platters arrive we are awe-struck! Juan told us that we could go watch it being prepared and I spend so long taking pictures that another man tells me that he caught a BIG fish and do I want to see it? You bet!
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| Getting our table ready |
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| Couldn't be much fresher! |
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| Coco Locos with Laura, Juan, Kathy, and Helen |
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| All done! |
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| Coconut yummies |
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| Native dress |
Almost all talking ceases when the fish arrive! What a huge treat! And one of the many vendors going from table to table is selling a coconut dessert and we all take turns breaking off a piece until it is all gone!
A bit further down the road and Juan gets us a huge loaf of banana bread that makes its way up and down the aisle of the bus. Juan bought a second loaf to bring to his family tomorrow when they gather for the eclipse at his sister’s house. We are stopped at a check point where there are armed military personnel and a lady gets on the bus to ask if we have an agricultural products. Then we’re on our way to Mazatlan, about a three-hour drive.
We stop for a potty break and two young girls and their dad come over to talk with us. The older girl is the spokesperson and she asks where we’re from and why we’re here and if this is our first time in Mexico. Lisa draws the other one out, too, but she is not as sure of her language skills. They have come from Mexico City to watch the eclipse in Mazatlan and have been on the road ten hours already!
What a circus! Everyone and his brother has come here for the eclipse! We find our hotel on a little back street and get our room assignments. Laura and I are on the ground floor because I asked for it! All the rooms have one king- sized bed and a couch. We’re quite content to share a bed! And grateful to have one to share.
As soon as everyone has dropped their bags, we head out for dinner. Oh My God!! It’s the world’s largest street party!! Our restaurant is right on the square, with one of our tables backing right up to the raised plaza. The people watching is amazing as there is a continuous stream of revelers. And we are between two bands and can hear them both. Our waiter, when he finally comes for drink orders, can barely hear us. After a bit of time drinks appear and after an even longer time he comes back of food orders. Garlic shrimp sounds incredible and at least half an hour later, when it arrives we are pleasantly surprised to see that it comes with vegetables!
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| For those who forget that Mexico is a modern country! |
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| Grab shot from across the bus of the malecón (boardwalk along the shore) |
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| Coming home to our new home |
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| And it's charming! |
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| Interesting painting! We think it is the peasants being persecuted by the church and invaders! |
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| Great apartment! |
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| With a full kitchen! |
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| They must be about to perform somewhere. |
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| Bands and people everywhere! |
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| I hope I can include a video of this great group when I get home! |
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| The people streamed by continuously! |
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| The crowd thickened considerably by the time we were heading home! |
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Fu pulmonia (they're really dressed up golf carts. The taxi people tried to get them banned
because they aren't safe and they're more expensive! They failed! |
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| So appropriate for Ginger! |
There is a hip hop group that does incredible street dance, and ever more people. Lisa had tried to go back to the hotel but couldn’t make her way through the crowds and a parade!
When it’s time to go home the crowd is even thicker and I lose Juan and the other two in front of me. Luckily Ginger and Cathy are behind me, so all is not lost! We finally get through the ever-shifting mass and break out into the open. It’s clear sailing from here and I stop to take a picture of Casa Haas!
Back home some of us go up to the roof and wonder whether we wouldn’t be just as well off to stay here instead of walking to the funicular which takes us to the observatory. We’ll discuss it tomorrow. We’ll be on our own, as Juan has to leave us early in the morning. We said our good-byes tonight. And Laura and I are going to say our good nights asap! Too bad I don’t have the wifi password so I could post this now. But life goes on and at least it’s written! Wait ’til you see the bulldog!!
