Cruising part 4- Mazatlan

We arrived in Mazatlan and had booked a walking tour of "old town Mazatlan" which went way too slow for Lyle and I. It was great to get off the ship and get in to town. It was great to be lead around some of the sights. But ultimately it was great to just go off on our own and explore like we would any other city.

We started the tour along the water. Mickey bought a straw hat to keep the heat off her and we were instantly marked as tourists who would buy (I'm no fool, I was in a walking tour group with a sticker on my shirt, I knew I was marked as tourist already. But tourist who would buy... ah, that's a whole other story!)

At one point along the waterfront we were treated to a "cliff diving" exhibition. Not really a cliff, more of a rock outcropping, not really an exhibition as the divers had numerous "friends" holding out signs and donations buckets. But fascinating nonetheless.

That's me on the right, spoiling everyone else's photo so I could get the movie below.

The "old town" is ripe for tourists. They've taken all the electrical wires and hidden them from the street view. It hasn't happened yet, but I think this is the prefect location for a fabulous W Hotel. You heard it here first.

The view inside the Cathedral.

After the tour, our own group of five got in a cab and went to lunch at Chili Peppers in the "Gold Zone". The food was amazing! All this lobster and shrimp in front of Mickey was $24. That was the seafood for two! Funny thing, Mickey wasn't having this dish, she was having a nice sensible grilled fish.

After a couple of these GIGANTIC Chi-Chi's I was finally in vacation mode.

If you are in Mazatlan, go into the Gold Zone, just past the El Cid resort is Chilis Pepper. I can highly recommend it.

While we ate we shopped the local vendors who walked along the beach hawking whatever they can carry. Seeing the designer knockoff sunglasses man, we waved him over. After much haggling and trying on, everyone at the table bought a pair for $10 each. We overpaid as we later bought another pair in town for Auntie Di and it was $6 no haggling.

After lunch and few cocktails, as I may have said before, we went swimming unprepared. Well, Robb was prepared. He'd brought his swimsuit. Lyle was prepared, he said he'd just go in his cargo shorts. Mickey got prepared, she bought a towel and a new swimsuit across the street. Lewis came prepared to sit at the table and drink more. But me... I didn't want to spend money on some ugly swim trunks that I would never wear again. I didn't want to go swimming in my white cargo shorts. So I opted to strip down to my super cute undies. I thought since they looked like this:
They could pass for a swimsuit.

Once I was in the water, I was informed that no, they did not pass for swim gear as they went practically transparent. Funny thing, I know of a few swimsuits that do that as well. But I had prepared on the spot as well. I had also bought a towel on the beach.

I'm smiling because I'm not wearing any underwear anymore.

All the taxis in Mazatlan seem to be open air with no safety features like airbags of seatbelts.

Another lovely sunset...

And then after dinner back to the lame ass disco. At least there was no one in the way of all our fabulous photo taking...