A busy day

Wow - two in one day....
Today the guy who is supposed to see if we can get Sky TV was supposed to be here at 9:30 – well it’s 4:00 – the third time he gave us to be here has passed.
We went to pick up my sun glasses today – they are great – love them. Bill also got his computer glasses and says they are fine too. All three pairs for less then what one pair would cost in Indiana.
Then we watched some workers who were taking down the big Christmas tree made out of bottles and colored water.
They were taking it apart bottle by bottle then shrink wrapping the bottles.

Each bottle was held to the frame with individual wires.
Enlarge the picture and you can see the wires.
Quite a job.
From there we went to Wal*Mart cause Bill needed a new wireless computer mouse. Found that with no problem – and even the kind he likes. Also some synthetic oil for Jennie and a novel in English for me (expensive though about $11US – guess I’ll stick with the campground exchanges.)
Watched two movies tonight – Walk the Line and Charlie Wilson’s War – pretty good. And the guy about the TV never showed up. I think I’ve cooked more this trip so far as I cooked the whole last trip. What’s with that?

Mural, Cosala and Cow

New header but don't really like it. Maybe I can get a better one at sunset.
Tuesday our 54th day on the road. Got gas this a.m. [price of gas here is controlled by the government and it has gone up from 7.72 pesos to 7.88 since we’ve been here – about US$2.40 per gallon.] Then took a ride out to the new International Convention center to look at the mural on the side of the building. It is beautiful. Kind of three dimensional mosaic. It’s 82 feet high and the width of the building. Designed by a 17 year old high school student. Over a half million pieces of mosaic. Got a couple of pictures of it before the guard yelled “NO!” at me and ran us off. ???? It’s a public place for crying out loud. (remember click on pic to make it bigger)
Then we took a ride inland to Cosalά. When we left Las Glorias we thought about going there in Jennie. Now I’m glad we didn’t. From Mazatlan we drove east to the Libre (free road MX15). Then north on it for around 60 miles. It was a very good road. Two lane but with some shoulder and pretty smooth.
The only problem was if you got stuck behind a slow moving truck. In Willie it was no problem, he has enough power to pass in a short distance. In Jennie I think (just my thoughts not The Drivers) that it would be very difficult to pass. Got to the Cosalά turn off and the road was fine for about ten miles, then we ran into construction – turned into one lane dirt.
Again okay in Willie – in Jennie??? After the construction the road was partly pavement and partly pot hole – seemed like a lot more pot hole than asphalt. And some really gnarly topes in a couple of towns. In fact the topes were so bad you practically had to walk over them. At each tope were children selling home made bread and rolls. Didn’t buy any but it looked good.
See the size of that tope! Nasty bugger.
Cosalά itself is a neat little town. Founded by the Spaniards in the mid 1500s as a mining town. It is now a Pueblo Magico. Very colorful and very few tourists.
There is a nice central plaza with a lot wide walking and sitting areas surrounding it.
Lots of cobblestone and very very high sidewalks. At one time the rain must have really been a problem here. Some places there are as many as five steps from the street to the sidewalk. The stones are worn out from years of feet.
This is one of the old buildings from the 1600s. It’s been repainted but appeared to be vacant.
Next door was the Municipal Palace with its two stories and center courtyard. Very busy with people coming and going.
In the street in front of these buildings were lots of iron benches and places to eat. The older men of the town occupied most of the benches.
We stopped at a really nice restaurant for lunch. El Pueblito – very pretty inside.
And they had a little green parrot who was talking and talking. Sounded like he was having a conversation with attitude. Funny to listen to.
Several of the streets off the plaza are now walking only streets. Lined with brightly painted buildings housing little stores and businesses.
The church named for the Patrona de Cosalά, Santa Ursula, was first built in 1604 and added to in the 1800s. It is very stately with its one bell tower and copula in the rear.
Inside it is very pretty with glass chandeliers, black and white tiles floor and a beautiful blue ceiling in the copula.
Walking around we passed a hardware store with a big display of paint cans and their colors.
Next to it was a very pretty hotel and a dentist office.
Up the street a ways we came across a vendor selling marlin from the back of his maroon pickup. Kept the fish in a cooler and had a scale to weigh out the purchases.
Seemed like every vehicle that passed us had their radio on loud and on different stations. A variety of music available depending on the age of the driver.
While driving the very narrow streets we even found a Chinese restaurant.
Can just see it on the left - talk about a narrow street!
Only spent a couple of hours there as we wanted to get back to Mazatlan before it got dark. Pleasant day and pretty little town.
On the way back I did see this – cow and calf on outside of fence bull inside. Imagined the conversation Cow to bull – “See what you did to me! I’m out here with the baby fending for myself and you’re in there being taken care of and fed!”
Bulls……..

Shopping in Centro

Monday – we thought about leaving here today but then remembered I have to pick up my glasses and they probably won’t be ready until afternoon so decided to pay for a week more (it’s cheaper that way) so we’ll leave on Saturday. That also gives Bill a longer time to recuperate from his COLD.
I got up in time to see the sunrise this a.m. not spectacular but nice.

I have to admit I miss TV – just something to do evenings when it gets dark so early. I’m getting tired of reading. –didn’t think I’d ever say that. And I can’t figure out anything else to do to my web pages and/or blog. I’ve already taken so many pictures of Mazatlan it’s hard to find anything interesting to record. EGAD!
There are now three big motorhomes sharing the back part of the park with us. One was pulling a boat, one a trailer with two big full dressed motorcycles and the last one is a 45 footer. They are all friends from – where else? – Canada.
Had breakfast in the restaurant in the campground this a.m. Very good. Bill had an omelet and I had French Toast yummy. Then went to pick up my glasses. The town sure seems empty. Not too much traffic and the Malecón (boardwalk) was practically empty. Guess most of the tourists from inland have gone home. And no cruise ships in until tomorrow.
Picked up my regular glasses but the sun glasses weren’t quite right. Turns out cause the lenses are so curved I can’t get them progressive, they have to be bi-focals. Oh well. And Bill ordered a pair of glasses to use with his computer. We can pick them up Wednesday. Now I just have to get used to my new ones. I can read fine with them but can’t use them with the laptop.
After that we walked around a little. Went into a really nice department store. Lots of big name brands and expensive.

Bill found a razor but again more then he wants to pay. So still doesn’t have one. And we went into one of the largest fabric stores I’ve ever been in.

Could have spent all day in there just looking. From there we crossed the street to the Central Market. Quite a difference – everything for sale from chicken and pigs feet to produce, pottery and t-shirts. At one meat counter a butcher was slicing up half a carcass of beef? with a big knife.

We did buy a couple t-shirts though

and I gawked at the feet and heads.


Typical tourist had to take pictures. Wonder how many pictures of pigs feet are floating around the world from tourists to Mazatlan.
I got a t-shirt with a pulmonia on it. The pulmonias are the little golf carts turned into taxis that run all over town.

In fact we took one New Years Eve to the plaza and back. Pulmonia means pneumonia in Spanish. Bill says it’s a good name ‘cause you can catch pneumonia riding in one at night.