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Mexico 2019
  • Roch Pelletier
  • Roch Pelletier

Mexico 2019

Our first winter in Mexico! Read more
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  • Roch PelletierMexico 2019Roch Pelletier
    1

    Veguisima

    January 3, 2020 in Mexico ⋅ ☁️ 20 °C

    Before we came to Mexico City, Brenda had prepared a list of 4.5 star rated vegan restaurants she felt we must try before we returned to Mazatlan. By the time our last full day here rolled around, we had managed to eat at all but two of them and even made return trips to two of those visited.

    We knew before coming to Mexico City that there was a wealth of vegan eateries, but the longer we stayed, the more vegan-friendly places we discovered. Alas, by the end of our stay, we were faced with the age old dilemna: so much food, so little time.

    After taking a second look at reviews of our two remaining "must dine at" restaurants, we decided the food at Veguisima looked better than our other choice, Gatorta.

    And what a good decision that was. Brenda ordered the chilaquiles, tortilla strips with refried beans, potatoes sauted with oil, onion and spices, smothered in a mildly spicy green salsa. I had the drowned burrito, which the menu noted, "is big". It was a large flour tortilla stuffed to bursting with rice, quinoa, carrots, red cabbage, caramelized onions, chorizo spices cauliflower and cheez. The whole things was pan fried a d covered in green salsa and almond cream. It kinda looked like a gargantuan caterpillar, but tasted like heaven. Needless to say, by the time I made my way through it I was begging, "no mas".

    The food here was refined and quite different from most of the other places that were on our hit list. There was very little usage of soy protein imitation meats or seitan with the majority of the dishes being entirely plant based.

    This was certainly the right choice for our last meal in CDMX.    Read more

  • Roch PelletierMexico 2019Roch Pelletier

    Rasslin'!

    January 3, 2020 in Mexico ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    If there's one thing that every tour guide and blog say you must do in Mexico City, it is to attend a night at the fights. Not just any fights, but the Mexican version of the WWF, Lucha Libre, where the majority of the combatants are masked and sport all sort of colorful costumes.

    Lucha libre differs from the WWF in that the majority of the matches were two or three member tag team, best of three fall battles. The referee seemed to be in the ring only to count "uno, dos, tres" as at times all the wrestlers were in the ring at the same time with no intervention by the ref.

    But what sets this variety of the sport so far apart from the Hulk Hogan version is the level of acrobacy practiced by the fighters. These very large men and women were continuously flying through the air, turning cartwheels and leaping from the top rope to crush their opponents. They would fling each other about the ring, delivering thunderous slaps to the face and wrapping their legs around each others necks before performing a twisting maneuver to spin their adversary to the mat.

    The Mexican fans are rabid for the sport. About half of the crowd in the jam-packed arena was wearing a replica mask of their favorite fighter. When the bad guys would win a fall, there were loud choruses of boos and whistles, but when the good guys took a match, the cheers were deafening.

    We were seated next to the broadcast booth and even one of the commentators was masked. We figure he must have been a retired wrestler who provides insider color commentary for the broadcast. Of course. His true identity must remain a secret.

    In fact, the worst thing that can happen to a luchador is to have his mask removed. This occurred on two occasions on this night and both were met with audible collective gasps from the audience as the fighter struggled to conceal his face while attempting to retrieve his mask.

    The women wrestlers may have been female, but they surely were not ladies. The bad gals were every bit as vicious, acrobatic and ruthless as their male counterparts.

    The whole spectacle lasted just a little over two hours and provided the best entertainment bang for the buck I've ever had.

    I will surely return to the arena on my next visit to Mexico city and, who knows, maybe I'll even spring for a mask and call myself "The Roch"!    Read more

  • Roch PelletierMexico 2019Roch Pelletier
    1

    Hasta Luego Ciudad de Mexico

    January 4, 2020 in Mexico ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Eleven days in Mexico City.
    207,742 steps, an average of 18,885/day
    179.11 kilometres walked, an average of 16.28/day

    We believe the best way to see and discover a city is by foot, exploring the neighborhoods, always taking new routes to and from our destinations and often getting sidetracked by unexpected points of interest.

    Mexico City has so much to offer and is a wealth of history, art and food. I have to admit I was a little concerned about safety, having heard negative comments and news reports, but the fact is we felt safer here than in many US cities we’ve visited. There are police literally everywhere you look and, consequently, the "bad dudes" appear to have moved on to less patrolled pastures.

    If we weren't walking we were on the subway which, although showing its age, is efficient, easy to navigate and cheap as dirt to ride at only five pesos ($0.35 CDN).

    We visited all the main tourist spots, had meals at almost all the vegan restaurants we had wanted to try and experienced life with the locals at a Lucha Libre event.

    There is much to love about this city, which is working on solutions to its severe air pollution problem, the only negative aspect of our trip that comes to mind.

    We ended our stay here this morning with two 16 oz fresh fruit smoothies at the Mercado Medellin for 25 pesos each ($1.75 CDN) and a slice of avocado toast with spinach and cherry tomatoes for 35 pesos($2.45 CDN).

    Our 1:45 PM flight back to Mazatlan left pretty much on schedule and landed about ten minutes ahead of schedule. Sadly, it seems the complimentary gin and tonic we were served on our outgoing flight must have been a Christmas special because all we got today was a bag of chips and a glass of water. Still better than Air Canada, though.

    In a nutshell, we loved every minute of our time here and look forward to a return visit and a longer stay sometime soon.    Read more

  • Roch PelletierMexico 2019Roch Pelletier
    1

    El Faro

    January 8, 2020 in Mexico ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    This morning, rather than go for my usual jog along the Malecon, I decided to visit one of Mazatlan's top tourist attractions, El Faro.

    This lighthouse is located at the peak of Cerro del Creston on the southernmost tip of Mazatlan's peninsula and is located three kilometers from our Airbnb. Piece of cake, right? Only six kms there and back. WRONG!

    Once you reach the entrance to the park, there is a steep 900 meter climb along a partially paved path, with several switchbacks, before you arrive at the 325 step staircase that takes you to the top.

    With a height of 157 meters, it is the highest natural lighthouse in the Americas, and one of the highest operating lighthouses in the world.

    The first use of the Isla de Creston as a lighted marine signal was in 1828. The installation was very modest, consisting of only a small stone structure on which fires, fueled by whale oil and wood, or coconut chips, were lit. This provided little visibility to ships at night, particularly in bad weather.

    El Faro became the answer to the problem. First lit over the Pacific Ocean in 1879, the lighthouse's original lamp was constructed in Paris. It was made of an oil lamp surrounded by mirrors, and a Fresnel lens to focus the light.

    In 1905, the lamp was converted to hydrogen gas, and was made to be able to revolve in a full circle. The final update of the light source came in 1933, when it was converted to electricity, which is what is still there today. In order to emit its powerful light, El Faro uses a 1,000 watt bulb, which is focused by a Fresnel lens.

    But the real attraction here is the 360 degree view of the city below. One can see the cruise ship port, the Malecon from the southern tip to the northern tip, the cathedral, all set on a backdrop of the Sierra Madre mountains.

    Needless to say, the hike down was much easier than going up, but I still had one more obstacle before I could have my shower: forty two more steps leading up to our apartment.    Read more

  • Roch PelletierMexico 2019Roch Pelletier

    Jesterday....

    January 9, 2020 in Mexico ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    When we arrived in Mazatlan we saw posters everywhere advertising a Beatles tribute concert at El Teatro Angela Peralta, a fully restored 19th century opera house. Given my love of the Fab Four and our desire to visit the opera house, we went to the box office and snapped up tickets for the January 9 show.

    The opera house is a beautiful piece of architecture with a facade graced by four Roman columns. The theater originally opened in 1874 and, while it operated continuously until 1964, poor maintenance caused it to fall into disrepair and, eventually, ruin. In 1975, it was flooded by Hurricane Olivia and was for a time used as a parking garage with a giant ficus tree growing at center stage. In 1985, the city had the building slated for demolition, but a group of concerned citizens staged the first Mazatlan Cultural Festival in the ruined and roofless structure, complete with a symphony orchestra performing in front of the dilapidated stage and under the ficus tree at it's center. The grand lady was saved!

    Through public and private funding, the building was restored to it's former glory and was declared a national historical site in 1990.

    Attending a concert there is a treat. The hall has only eight hundred forty one seats, and there's not a bad one in the house. Acoustics are outstanding and the restored cast iron balconies project the history of the venue.

    It's a must see for any visitor to this city.

    Now, about the show. Last year Brenda and I attended a "Beatles" concert in Vancouver that included orchestration provided by the VSO. Admittedly, we were a little spoiled by that one and I guess our expectations for last night's show were pretty high.

    As it turns out, the band on stage this night, Grupo Help!, was formed in Mexico City in 1985 by three Beatles-loving brothers. During the show, they covered three eras of the Fab Four's career, and did an admirable job with the music and hitting the right notes vocally. But there was no disguising their Spanish accents.

    She loves you, ja, ja, ja....

    Jesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away...

    They even managed to perform one of my favorites from 1967's Sargento Pimienta, A Day In The Life.

    And despite the Latin rather than Liverpudlian accents and a few annoying technical glitches, the show was very entertaining and well worth the 500 peso price of admission.

    I am the walrus, koo koo kachoo!    Read more

  • Roch PelletierMexico 2019Roch Pelletier

    Murals

    January 12, 2020 in Mexico ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    I had hoped to post these at the end of our stay in Mexico City but we both got back to Mazatlan with sore throats. which we thought were due to the polluted air we were bearing in the capital. However, our sore throats quickly turned into nasty flus that have kept us more or less bedridden for over a week. I'm only just starting to feel human again.

    Mexico City is a vibrant and ever so colourful city. Everywhere we walked, we came across outdoor artwork and murals, some relatively small while others spanned entire buildings. These are only a few of the many we came across.    Read more

  • Roch PelletierMexico 2019Roch Pelletier
    111

    Oh, I Love Turtles!

    February 14, 2020 in Mexico ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    We decided to do something out of the ordinary this Valentine’s Day so we booked a trip to the Verde-Comacho turtle sanctuary, about an hour north of Mazatlan. And what a great decision it was!

    When we arrived at the sanctuary, our guide, Misael, gave us the background on how the sanctuary came into being and told us a little about the Olive Ridley sea turtle, which is the main focus of this enterprise. We then went into the incubation room where the eggs that are collected from the beach are brought to hatch. We were shown two “nests” whose eggs had hatched and were to be released onto the sea within the next twenty four hours. The “nests” are actually styrofoam coolers that contain up to one hundred eggs laid by a mama turtle, along with the sand from the beach where they were laid. The smell from that sand will be imprinted into the hatchling’s memory and will guide them back to that same spot on the beach when it is their turn to lay eggs.

    As soon as the cover was lifted from the first cooler, Brenda turned to jelly and fell completely in love with a hundred or so baby reptiles. I must say, they were awfully cute!

    Then it was down to the beach where the six of us on the tour were each given two hatchlings to set free.

    When they first touch the sand, the hatchlings are clearly disoriented and surprised when the first wave hits them. But after that, with each successive wave, they paddle more and more frantically with their front fins, hoping to ride the tide to their new domain. They reminded me of surfers paddling hard to catch a wave. A couple of the babies needed a helping hand from Misael, but eventually, they were all swallowed up by the sea. It was quite a wonderful experience. Unfortunately, these little beasts are very popular snacks for the sea’s predators and only about one percent of the babies will ever make it to adulthood. But I’m confident my two releasees are fighters and will one day return to the beach here. Who knows, if I ever fall overboard on a cruise, maybe one of them will remember me and come to my rescue.

    After the release we went for a boat ride through a mangrove forest where we saw blue herons, crocodiles and iguanas. We were given the option of doing the tour in a kayak, but I found the idea of flipping upside down into crocodile infested brackish water somewhat unappealing.

    After we were brought back to our accommodations in town, we made our way to the Golden Zone and ate at Zab Thai, the best Thai restaurant in Mazatlan. Actually, it’s the only Thai restaurant in Mazatlan, so they don’t have to work too hard to be the best. The food was only OK, but it was nonetheless a nice change from Mexican. In any case, I got to spend a wonderful day with my lovely valentine.    Read more

  • Roch PelletierMexico 2019Roch Pelletier
    1

    Somos America

    February 19, 2020 in Mexico ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    The theme for this year's Carnaval in Mazatlan is "Somos America", We Are America.

    Over the last couple of weeks huge paper mache statues representing the carnaval icons of other Latin American countries have been popping up all around the city,

    Here's a small sample. We'll add more once the festivities get under way.    Read more

  • Roch PelletierMexico 2019Roch Pelletier

    Combate Naval

    February 23, 2020 in Mexico ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    In 1864, the Mexican army and navy succeeded in repelling a French force that was intent on capturing Mazatlan. The French flagship, La Cordelière, was heavily damaged by Mexican cannon fire during the battle.

    Every year during Carnaval, the battle is recreated with a free fireworks display that is, for many, the highlight of the celebrations.

    Last night, Brenda and I braved the crowds and patiently awaited the 11:00 PM start of the pyrotechnics. The number of people attending was truly impressive, with every inch of El Malecon filled with revelers.

    The show started with a spectacular display put on by dozens of drones that was, as far as we were concerned, the highlight of the show. "Mazatlan" was spelled out in the night sky with a pulsating red heart behind the word. Then the drones reformed to announce "Carnaval '20". The music changed and the drones drew out a line of three cannons and a blue, blanc et rouge masted ship, which was rapidly sunk by cannon fire.

    The drones retreated and the fireworks got under way with a bombastic, but somewhat frenetic, display. Frankly, both Brenda and I were a little disappointed by the performance which was impressive in its aggressivity, but chaotic in its presentation. There was no lull in the action with shells constantly exploding at both low and high altitudes. Although one could argue the display was synchronized to the non-stop upbeat Latin rhythms blasting over the PA system, it all came across as a little heavy-handed.

    Nonetheless, it was something we felt compelled to attend and can now check it off our to do list.    Read more

  • Roch PelletierMexico 2019Roch Pelletier

    Carnaval Parade

    February 25, 2020 in Mexico ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras, Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Tuesday, call it what you will, but the days leading up to Ash Wednesday, the commencement of Lent, inspires celebration throughout the Christian world. The forty day period leading up to Easter Sunday is a time where many Catholics commit to fasting, as well as giving up certain luxuries in order to replicate the sacrifice of Jesus Christ's journey into the desert for 40 days; this is known as one's Lenten sacrifice. Thus the elaborate parties in preparation for the fast.

    The Mazatlan Carnaval celebrations ended on Tuesday with the second of two parades along the Malecón. This parade and celebration is much more tame and family oriented than the parades at New Orleans’ Mardi Gras. Drinking is done on a small scale and there is none of the nudity that is so prevalent in the USA, although some of the parader’s costumes left little to the imagination. All of the country’s respective floats matched the themes of their statues that have decorated the city for the last couple of weeks. Each float was preceded by a dance troupe clad in colourful and imaginative costumes aso matching the theme. Candies, t-shirts, noise-makers and water bottles were tossed into the crowd by the people riding on the floats and all of this was backed by a non-stop barrage of up-beat Latin music.

    Brenda and I left before the end of the parade as our bellies were starting to cry out for food by 7:30, but we thoroughly enjoyed the two hours of it that we saw.

    As much as we enjoyed Carnaval, we’re glad the city is now returning to the peaceful, uncrowded place we’ve come to love.    Read more

  • Roch PelletierMexico 2019Roch Pelletier

    Las Labradas

    February 27, 2020 in Mexico ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    About sixty kilometres north of Mazatlan lies a beach that holds a treasure trove of petroglyphs, some of which were carved 4500 years ago! The site was used by the indigenous pre-Columbian people of Sinaloa for over 3000 years, presumably for worship relating to their gods and the summer solstice.

    Brenda and I visited the Las Labradas Archeological site earlier this week and were fascinated by the works of these ancient people. Las Labradas is located almost exactly on the Tropic of Cancer, making it an ideal spot for honouring the changing of the seasons.

    The area of the beach where the carvings are situated is only about 1200 feet long, but it contains roughly six hundred and forty carvings. Lava from two nearby extinct volcanoes hardened and left the huge volcanic rocks that are strewn along this part of the beach. These boulders became the canvas for the ancient artists. The carvings depict various animals, birds, spiral designs, humanoids and celestial events. Despite their age and exposure to the elements, including the ebb and flow of the tides, many of the carvings are still very clear, while others, sadly, have lost much of their definition.

    Las Labradas is currently under consideration as a Unesco World Heritage Site, which if granted, would hopefully allow measures to be taken to preserve these valuable records for future generations.    Read more

  • Roch PelletierMexico 2019Roch Pelletier

    Life’s a Beach

    March 6, 2020 in Canada ⋅ 🌙 3 °C

    Our twelve week break from Vancouver’s wet winter has come to an end as we leave behind the sun, sand and new friends we’ve made in Mexico.

    We didn’t really know what to expect when we set out on this journey, with only the few hours we spent in Mazatlan last February as a sample of what was to come. In the end, we’ve become quite enamoured not only with the city, but also with the warmth of the Mazatlecos, who patiently endured my attempts to express myself in their language. But, because there is also a very active expat community, about seventy percent of which is from our home and native land, I didn’t always have to call on my Duolingo skills to communicate.

    Once we settled into our Airbnb rental we went about exploring the historic Centro district and quickly fell into a routine that involved long walks along the malecón, daily visits to the Mercado Central and, in Brenda’s case, yoga five morning every week. Every other day we’d stop at the ...... market for a 40 peso fruit smoothie before walking the three kilometres back to our base. We caught two baseball games, one of them a divisional playoff final, attended two Lucha Libre events, watched three 39 peso movies at Gran Plaza’s cinema and searched out eateries that would accommodate our vegan lifestyle. If there was one disappointment, it was the distinct lack of vegetarian options available in the restaurants. However, we learned toward the end of our stay that with a little coaching, many eateries were willing to whip something up to put on our plates. On the other hand, pretty much every day of the week, you can go somewhere and enjoy some great live music thanks to a very vibrant and diverse music scene.

    Brenda and I have pretty much decided that we will definitely return to Mazatlan for future winters, but we still have a very big soft spot for Thailand, where we plan to go next time winter rolls around. On the other hand, because Mazatlan is so accessible from Vancouver, we’re considering a short visit in May to experience fruit season at its peak, just before the scorching summer weather arrives.

    And so, as we head back to Vancouver, we trade in one Pacific beach for another. Yeah, life is pretty sweet.    Read more

    Trip end
    March 6, 2020
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