Morning at the Market #2

Getting ready for the customers.

ABC Wednesday-"B"

This photograph needs no explanation for "B" today.

Iglesia Cristiana Congregacional de Mazatlan

I know that I have been posting too many collages recently, but this deserves one more! Normally I do not attend church regularly except when I'm in Mazatlan. Iglesia Cristiana has exceptional music performed by volunteer Mexican, American, and Canadian musicians at its 8:30 am Sunday service. The music is heavenly!

Boats

Photographing anything on the sea is very tricky because of the sunlight, water, and reflections. Within a few minutes of each other about 4:30 pm I took several photos of this sailboat in the foreground and commercial shrimp boat way out in the ocean. Each photo turned out distinctly different from one another because of the rapidly changing sunlight. I posted this one because it is my husband's favorite.

Immaculate Conception Cathedral

I got the following description from a website called Bestday.com: "The Cathedral is located in the very heart of downtown Mazatlan; its construction began in 1875 and was finished in 1899, and it was dedicated to Mary's Immaculate Conception in 1937. It is considered the most beautiful cathedral in the northwest of Mexico; featuring magnificent sculptures in its atrium. The building has a remarkable Gothic style, and its decoration is mainly Baroque with a neoclassical feel, thus featuring a variety of styles. When you visit the cathedral you will be surprised at its many works of art, which include not only magnificent sculptures but also inspiring paintings. Hopefully you will be able to listen to the wonderful organ of the cathedral, which was built in Paris in the 19th century." A good photo for domingo, isn't it?

Gala de Opera-Teatro Angela Peralta, Mazatlan

After the performance a friend suggested that our taste in music is a bit eclectic: blues performance on Thursday night (see the previous days' blogs) followed by this magical evening of opera on Friday. The collage (clockwise) features James Demster, Director Concertador; David Lomeli, Tenor; 1st Violinist (name unknown); and Eugenia Garza, Soprano with Jorge Lagunes, Baritono with the Coro Angela Peralta and the Orquesta Sinfonica Sinaloa de las Artes. The lovely European-style theatre is a jewel in itself. To read about it, click here. I couldn't find any decent photos on any website that does the interior justice so I guess I'll have to try to capture the inside myself at a later time.

Danny B

As promised, here is a collage of HarmoniCat Danny B who played at Canuck's Thursday night. He is a terrific showman and musician! Great evening!

Open Mike Night

Canucks is a bar/restaurant where many of the expat and snowbird Canadians congregate to socialize. We don't qualify geographically as Minnesotans but the music performances there on a nightly basis appeals to us: blues, rock, rhythm and blues plus the Canadians dance up a storm and it's fun to watch. (Jaime doesn't like to dance; can you imagine, and I suffer mightily because of no partner!!) On Monday nights the stage is open to professional and amateur performers, and there always are pleasant surprises. Last Monday a number of visiting musicians and vocalists performed. This man is a visiting vacationer (I think); if I discover otherwise, I'll correct the information later. Another musician, Danny B, a talented entertainer and harmoniCat is in town. On Thursday he's going to perform and we're going 'cuz he is a really hot harmonica musician--heard him last year and am so happy he's in town again. Although he moves around on stage quite a bit and is hard to photograph,I'll try to get some decent photos. Stay tuned!!

Amigos de Los Animales-ABC Wednesday-"A"

This is the shelter where Jim goes twice a week to walk dogs, to help relieve some of the staffs'resposibilites and to give the animals necessary exercise. Jaime (Jim) is shown below with one of his new canine friends.

Morning at the Mercado

Two different approaches to being photographed. The man unloading the limes was eager to pose. The second man was not opposed to posing, but when urged to cooperate by his friends he just said, "I'm too busy to stop!" He was and they unloaded the truck with amazing speed!!

Day of Mourning

Day of Mourning for my beloved Packers: New York Giants 23-Green Bay Packers 20. ADDED LATER: NFL Joke

Eli Manning, Brett Favre and Tom Brady are standing
before God.

God asks Eli Manning first: "What do you believe?"
Eli thinks long and hard, looks God in the eye, and says,
"I believe in hard work, and in staying true to family and friends. I
believe in giving. I was lucky, but I always tried to do right by my
fans." God can't help but see the essential goodness of Manning,
and offers him a seat to his left.

Then God turns to Brett Favre and says, "What do you believe?"
Favre says, "I believe passion, discipline, courage and honor are
the fundamentals of life. I, too, have been lucky, but win or lose,
I've always tried to be a true sportsman, both on and off the playing
fields." God is greatly moved by Favre's sincere eloquence, and he
offers him a seat to his right.

Finally, God turns to Tom Brady: "And you, Tom, what do you believe?"
Tom replies, "I believe you're in my seat."

Mime

Even though the temperatures in this fair city have been at an uncommon low for the season (lowest in 50 years!), the traditional Saturday night activity at Plaza Machado was lively. Vendors put up tables to sell their wares while patrons eat at the restaurants lining the Plaza and people stroll around the perimeter of the area. Shops are open, musicians play at outdoor cafes, and entertainers of various stripes entertain the crowd, among whom were three mimes. Here's one of them; the other two had more traditional and elaborate costumes, but I liked this one because s/he looked like the kid next door, trying to earn a buck...er...a peso!

El Centro Vendor

I've been returning to this woman's fruit and vegetable stand and believe I'll probably buy almost exclusively from her in the future. I was originally attracted to her because of her sweet smile and willingness to pose for a photograph, but I also think that she has good produce. Today she wanted to know the whereabouts of my "compañero." Next time I'll have to bring Jaime along with me and tell her that my compañero is mi esposo.

Frida Kahlo

Images of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo are everywhere, or so it seems. Shopping bags in the Mercado are only one of the many objects that show her portrait (or try to duplicate it!). She is a much-loved twentieth century painter, and I believe that her reputation may now have surpassed that of her husband, Diego Riviera.

Amigos de Los Animales

On Tuesday, January 15, Jim and I made our first visit to Amigos de Los Animales. In an hour and a half, we walked 8 dogs that otherwise may not have been given any love and exercise that day. The few staff members work hard on a shoestring budget to help care for stray, sometimes abused, dogs and cats. Occasionally animals will be given to them by people who cannot keep them, for one reason or another. With a limited budget the animals receive medical care and attention. Expats provide financial aid and assistance, but, of course, there is never enough time and money to help the large numbers of stray and abandoned animals in the city. Yet it is extraordinary what has been accomplished by this small facility. Because of a bad knee giving me trouble, I will not be able to help walk the dogs anymore, but Jim plans to do this twice a week. (My hero!) Here is one of our new canine friends, looking sad and lonely in one of the kennels. Looks forlorn, doesn't he? Now how can anyone resist him?!

Balloon! Balloon!!

Vendors add colour to the scene.

Dinner?

My favorite place to shop is the El Centro Mercado. Merchandise of all kinds can be found there: pots and pans, clothing of all kinds, souvenirs for tourists plus an abundance of food--spices, grains, herbs, dairy products, fruits, vegetables, and all kinds of meat. When my small granddaughter has been with me she immediately heads to the pigs' heads which fascinate her. Although I love the hustle and bustle of the market and its energy, I usually head the other way!

Our transportation

Bus service in Mexico is superb, although some drivers act like Kamikaze Pilots. They may not be maintained nor as luxurious as buses in the states, but they run more frequently and are less expensive. I'm just as happy to ride and not drive!

Guest Photo

Last year I posted a fantastic photo of a diver, which was photographed by Roger from Edmonton, Canada. This year he took this sunset photo from the lobby of his newly-purchased condo. If you want to see the diver, click here. Thanks, Roger, for letting me share your photos!

Patio Fountain

This fountain is located in the entrance patio of a new friend in Mazatlan. While here we are going to volunteer with Amigos de los Animales. We came to this casa to find out about the work with animals done by volunteers who are primaily expats working with some Mexicans to take care of the astronomically high number of stray cats and dogs. Our task is to take the dogs for walks to give the employees a chance to do their jobs. One of the directors told us that the often-dispirited animals get a new lease on life with attention and love from humans, which I and Jaime are definitely qualified to provide. Better than cleaning cages!!

Peaches

We met Peaches, a dog from Canada, when we were all out for a stroll.

Headboard

An interesting headboard, isn't it?!

Promenade

Very early in the morning I can look out my living room window to see this scene unfold. Joggers, runners, beach vendors and other strollers begin the day on the Malecon. This photo shows just the beginning; just a few minutes later there will be many more people promenading along the shore. Great way to begin the day, isn't it?

A Common Sight

Because of a building boom in Mazatlan, this is a fairly common sight. The Canadian dollar has increased which is probably one reason why so many Canadians are buying in Mexico up and down the Pacific coast. I think that they outnumber the Americans who own houses and condos here. Construction is booming and prices are escalating. I hate to see this pattern in Mazatlan because culture and society are always affected by "progress" but not always in a positive way.

Christmas decorations

Until the Roman Catholic feast day of January 6, the time when the Wise Men arrived in Bethlehem to see the baby Jesus, the Mexicans traditionally keep up their Christmas decorations. We arrived in time to see some of the festive street decorations and holiday trimmings. This photo shows the front patio of a home in Plaza Machado where the creche is still visible--a home I would love to see. (I'm working on it!)

WE'RE BACK!!

This is the view through our living room window. While Jaime (Jim) and the rest of the world was asleep, I watched Mazatlan wake up. T'was early!
Our First Step, and then we're on our way. On time: Can you believe it?

I've had lots of trouble uploading these images. Our internet is not hooked up yet so I'm doing this in a splendid little cafe with FREE wifi within walking distance of our condo. Don't go away; I should be back soon!