5C's Que Pasa

It started out with us attending Handel’s Messiah at the Angela Peralta Theater.  This was a Camerata Campbell presentation directed by Gordon Campbell featuring the Community Choir of Culiacan and members of the OSSLA orchestra.

The stunning music and voices announcing the Arrival of the Queen of Sheba.  It was outstanding considering that not all the vocalists were professionals.

A perfect way to start a Sunday afternoon.  There are seven more concerts in the series which all begin at noon on Sunday and tickets are only 300 pesos.  The performances vary as to what is being performed each week.  We only attend the ones that interest us.  Details can be found here.  I have to say that I was disappointed with the last number, the Hallelujah chorus, when people stood.  Legend has it that in 1743, the British monarch King George II was so moved by Handel’s Hallelujah chorus that he stood out of respect for the “Lord of Lords,” the only authority above his own. When the king stands, everybody stands. And since then everyone has followed suit.  Gordon Campbell also mentioned that it was thought that the King thought the concert was over and stood to leave and then remained standing.  So now some stand and some don’t at each performance.

This is what happens when some stand in front of you.  We didn’t stand, I just focused on the sound rather than the visual.  I heard this group perform the Hallelujah chorus before when no one stood and I think it was much better that way.

Friends from Kamloops, Hannelore and Peter joined us for the afternoon. We have met them several times over the past few years here in Mazatlan.  Such a beautiful theater.

Kathy and her friends were just a few rows in front of us.

Kathy and her husband Eric winter in an RV Park right in Mazatlan.  She writes the blog Kathy & Eric’s Travels.  Be sure to read Kathy’s write up of the concert.  She took many photos and added much more information that I did.  Great post Kathy.

The four of us ended up at Angelina’s for a most delicious meal.

These two were at the table next to us. The eight year old father and his 4 year old son. They were very well behaved.

Lovely thoughts to start the New Year with, on a sign board in front of Angelina’s.

…and so ended our lovely Sunday.

Ruthe and Patrick arrived January 1st and were lucky enough to snatch the last front row spot.  They are blog readers lured here by my photos and stories of the Isla and I am so happy to have them next door for the next three months.  They have finally settled in and were ready to check out Centro. We started off by showing them where to buy tickets for the lancha and how to catch a pulmonia on the other side.  Sorry but I have no photo of them but that will be remedied tomorrow, I was too busy being tour guide to pull out my camera.

We started off with a tour of the Plazuela Machado, the Angela Peralta Theater and some entertainment in the square.  As we headed off in search of an ATM we stopped in the neat little shop, between the Machado and Topolos.

A very unique decor complete with stepping stones over a pond.

Interesting art work. The detail on the crosses are all nails and screws.

An interesting home along the route.  I like the upstairs garden.

These two little ones were having so much fun with the pigeons in the square across form the Cathedral.

Once they we were all done with the ATM, Colin and I introduced them to the Panama Bakery.  That was followed by an eye opening walk through the mercardo.  Certainly lots to absorb on a first visit.

By then it was time for lunch at the famous Tony’s Burgers. Ruthe and I had the shrimp tacos which were very good while Patrick had a shrimp burrito. Colin stuck to his shrimp burger.  I had a bite and I do have to say that it is simply the best burger ever.  Please note that next Thursday, the 19th, Tony will be offering live entertainment all day in celebration off his 8th anniversary at this location.

We were just finishing our meals when I heard ” hello Contessa “. It was Carol and Bill showing Mike around Centro. Mike lives about 30 miles west of Kitchener, Ontario.

Mike reads Carol’s blog and mine and it seems that we have influenced his first trip here to Mazatlan.  He intends to head back to Canada and buy a motorhome.  We look forward to seeing you down here next year Mike.  Thank you for reading the blog.  Looking forward to more time together in the future.

We next walked to Ley’s a few blocks away ( a larger grocery store ) and then caught a pulmonia back to the embarcadero.  Quite the dashboard, eh?

The shrimp boat fleet is all back out fishing after the holidays and now the tuna boats are starting to head out.  I wish them good fishing.  The fish markets here have little selection due to the increased water temperature.

A nice end to the day.

I had to take a second shot, love the contrasts in color in the sky.

Thanks for taking time to read my post.

We have been without internet for about 2.5 days over the last week.  So frustrating to not be able to be online.  I knew that the first day that it went out that I should have booted up my hot spot device but I didn’t because I thought that it was a one time thing.  Fortunately a fellow RVer allowed me to use his device late last evening to get my device working again which involved putting money on it and activating it online and then of course we got the park internet back late morning today.  It was well worth the $20.00 I spent and I have that time good till February 12th so all is well.

Carmeh is up and down these past few days.  We are trying to decide if we should take a new approach with her food but since about 10PM last night she has once again improved.  She has however developed an aversion to the beach these past four days and shakes and wants to head straight back home which she did yesterday.  Today she was a bit better and walked with us but with her tail between her legs.  Once we turn to head back home  ( each of these past 4 days ) she runs like the wind, wags her tail and is happy.   Some days she is in pain and others not and some days she eats and she can’t eat other days.  We can only take it one day at a time.

Carmeh is getting constant attention and poor Caeli is feeling left out and tends to sit under the table and the chairs to be out of our way.

January weather is upon us complete with daily morning fog which quickly burns off and cool nights which are great for sleeping.  That doesn’t stop this fellow from bringing his horses down the beach each morning.

The latest foal bringing up the rear.  Due to the high tide and waves the beach is sloping down to the ocean.

This was taken this past Tuesday, January 10th.

The next morning I spotted this fellow way out swimming on his back bring in his net during a very high tide. It was a struggle to get that net onto the beach.  If you look closely you can see a fish in caught in the net just above his right foot.  For all the work he did, he only caught six fish.

Colin was out at an appointment that morning for a few hours and Carmeh on one of her not so good days stayed up on the back of the sofa so that she could watch for his return. She is most happy when she is with Colin 24/7.  Needless to say that once he started to back the car in on his return, she was barking and most excited.

Caeli meanwhile just patiently hung out on the dash.

Another great sunset this last Wednesday.

Thanks for checking in and special hugs to those that emailed their concerns.  As long as we have internet I have lots of photos to share so be sure to stay tuned 😉

This photo is of our home in Kelowna, taken today when the temperature was -24C/-11.2F and with the windchill that made it -31C/-23.8F.  In a word COLD.  Thanks to our neighbor and friend Rosalie who took the photo.

Much as we love our summer home we especially love our winter home here on the Isla in Mazatlan, Mexico.

Here in January we are dealing with cooler temperatures on average of 27C/80.6F not to mention the golden sunsets each evening.

I had noticed this mother and son mainly because on their first day they were wearing matching T shirts.  They spent the day on the beach and every now and they they would take the ATV up and down the beach.  But they mostly spent the day out of the sun under their umbrella just enjoying the beach.

During the holiday season the Marines patrol the beach.

One of my new blooms.

I began to notice the mother and son on the beach each morning.   After a few days I mentioned them to other RVers.  It seems that I am behind the times.  Everyone knew that they were camping on the road right beside our RV site.  It is obvious that I don’t get out much much.  Well not true as we walk the beach each day but don’t head out to the back of the RV park often.

The moisture on the flower and leaves is from our high humidity.

The Mom and son had their pickup truck parked on the road just outside the RV park down the road to the beach.  The green tarp is over a tent set up on the back of the truck.  Those bougainvillea to the middle left of the photo are from my garden.  Nice to see my flowers flowing over to the road to the beach.

The mother and son camped on the road to the beach for four nights that I was aware of.  They were quiet and it was apparent that they were here for the beach and nature.  We never heard any noise from them.  Suddenly they appeared about 9AM each morning and were gone at sunset.  Then last Saturday about 4PM they were gone for good.  The license plate read Durango.

I can only hope that the son will have wonderful memories of the time his Mom took to bring him here to the beach here on the Isla over the holidays for four nights.  I will never forget it.  She would dress every day to the nines including a boardroom executive pink pantsuit complete with matching sun hat and shoes and sit under their umbrella as the son played or walked the beach.  On very few occasions she would mount the ATV behind him and go for a ride but they were ever so quiet compared to the other ATV’s  on the beach.  I wish that I had taken more photos but honestly it was my privilege to observe them simply enjoying the Isla day after day.  I so enjoyed their visit here to the Isla.