Panama - the Restaurant Chain

Many of the roadside taco and food places, even some of the local restaurants, may not be to your liking in terms of the decor of the place, with a sense of they not being quite clean - although price wise very acceptable. So, if you are fuzzy and still want some "Mexican" food in Mexico, there is a chain of restaurants which you probably will have none of the issues mentioned: The PANAMA chain.

Lets go and have a look:

The places are clean, airconditioned, offering an amazingly large variety of foods and bakeries. The service is excellent and all the personnel is meticulously dressed in attractive uniforms. The huge menu is available in English and shown in colorful displays.

This page shows favored selections, "Flavor of Love"

Plentiful selections of drinks and deserts

But you do not need to order a dinner - there are plenty of snacks!

Before noon you can order from a large variety of "Desayunos" - breakfasts.

"Cenas" is full dinners - with the price being seldom over $10.- and lower than at fancier restaurants catering to foreigners.

If you have trouble ordering from a list: here is a colorful display of dinner arrangements

At lunchtime, the places may be rather full, but at other times there should always be some room.

Some new and favored selections may be displayed when you enter.

And this is what I am usually looking for: the lady who pushes this dessert trolly through the rows, so you can choose your favorites from the live display: There is no sugar icing, but all fancy tortes are done with buttercream, and I choose always the least healthy one  and order with it a "cafe descafeinado", a decaf, and that costs me 66 pesos plus 10 as a tip - so that would be about 5 Canadian dollars.

SEE YOU AT THE PANAMA
(Should i show this blog to the manager, maybe he will offer me a free lunch?)

Malecon Beach Wave watching

Having a nice meal at one of the Malecon palapa restaurants (excellent fish), there was not much left to do but watching the waves. On a Wednesday, the weekend crowds are not there, all very quiet and peaceful...

An Evening at the Centro Historico: street art and music

On the same Thursday evening I watched the neighborhood dancing (previous post), several blocks further into the Historic Center of Mazatlan there was to be a concert (as I noticed earlier in the day when I went there to look around), so I decided to see what this was all about.

The "Centro Historico" is a well-maintained part of the old town, with lots of very attractive looking restaurants, a beautiful park surrounded by historic buildings, next to the famous Teatro Peralta where man cultural events are taking place (program a week from now: "Madame Butterfly"!).

But on this Thursday evening the events took place right in the park plaza: Break dancing by local youngsters, an Aztec dancer, music groups at some of the restaurants, and ultimately a Cuban band performing later into the night. The foreign "snowbird" tourists would have filled the place in the winter season, but on this evening it was all local visitors - a truly Mexican party.

A huge butterfly provides the stage for tourist photos

Beautiful restaurants surround the plaza - prices are ok and "Happy Hour" pricing goes for drinks!

More restaurants...

And some more...

The Mexican Flag in the fading daylight...

Greenery in the plaza, with a view of the well maintained historical buildings surrounding it

A look back towards the Ice Box Hill and its microwave towers: right behind it, to the right, is Joan's house, a 15-20 min walk from the Centro.

And now to some of the entertainment: 

A group of young guys (with one girl) performed some break dancing - some of the solo parts being absolutely great and exceptional! I believe this is the same group of people who I saw over a year ago at one of the busy intersections in town, where they just jumped into the  empty spaces during changeovers of traffic lights and performed a minute or two worth of entertainment (if they did this in Vancouver, the local police would go nuts and drivers would honk their horns, upset about the few seconds of interruptions of their busy driving...):

At another corner of the plaza, two Aztec dancers were performing in their old, wild costumes, accompanied by heavy drumming. However, the lighting was very poor and video recording thus not the best. 

Eventually, after 9 pm the Cuban band got its act together and played up: kind of jazzy music. What I liked is, just as during parties in St. Vincent, these Caribbean players did not perform these  3 min songs with 5 lines of questionable lyrics, so typical of performances at the dozens of "music festivals" happening all over BC (viz "Jazz Et Cetera" in Kaslo!). No, once the Cubans started playing they went on for 20-30 minutes or longer, a rich, beautiful program. A few excerpts:

I would have loved to sit down at some of those restaurants surrounding the Centro plaza during all those entertaining happenings - but that would have made sense only with some company. Some other time then!

Bailar, bailar - Neighborhood Dancing

Every Thursday, I understand, some people or group are organizing some dance music at the Plazuela Zaragoza - just 4-5 blocks away from my house. What a wonderful event, fun for young and old (well, mainly old, it seems).

I really would have liked to join in, but I was not so sure my new knees would allow me to perform adequately. But I really was itching to try...

The musical setup was quite simple, and a lady served as the animator, as you will see in the video. First, people were a bit slow (or - maybe the Mexicans are not waltz enthusiasts), but on the next piece they all became active and filled the dance floor:

Pop Concert and Flamenco Mexican Style

In the new Hermanos park nearby, about 5 blocks away, a free pop concert was scheduled last weekend, and although such concerts are of little interest to me, I went to look at the setup. There were supposed to be some food services, but I saw none - but what I saw were preparations for some tap and/or flamenco dancing. The video shows some prep activities by some of the ladies, some of their dancing and then the general scene, as visitors filled the Park. The music, of course, started at sundown and went till midnight. Luckily it did not prevent my sleep.

A Beach Scene

At a palapa along the Malecon beach, some late afternoon in May, with a Margarita in front of me I watch the waves breaking: They break too soon and thus are not ideal for surfing, but along other stretches of the beach you often see surfers in action. Mexican families rent umbrellas and tables and chairs, and the kids enjoy the shore breaks - but is good to keep an eye on them because the backwash could be a bit too strong for the little ones.....

Rent a Bike

As of this season, there are some 50 locations in Mazatlan where you can rent a bike. The system is called Vbike. All you need to do is download an app to your phone and register your name, payment info etc, and off you go. The system is very reasonably priced, and you can choose various time frames, from hours to months. It probably is cheaper than buying your own bike and see it rusting away in the salty air. I would like to use this system - but I am still refusing to use a cell phone and pay for data - but can see the time coming where I will have to overcome my resistance to being like everyone else...

Here, along the Malecon with its 8 km of bike lanes along the seaside, bike rental business is excellent!

Quite a show I missed

I guess you have to have your ear closer to the ground to catch on to events and figure out - maybe from advertisements in Spanish - whether they are hip or hop and worth going to. Well, I missed one two days ago which seems to have taken place just some minutes away from where I live and where I take a walk quite often: A big open-air fashion show with artistic performances and lots of hoopla. at the Olas Altas seaside.

You might read about it in the latest Vide Maz! message I just got, with more and better photos than I could have taken!

Physiotherapy - El Faro Lighthouse

The main reason I came to Mexico this time is to practice some physiotherapy for my second knee replacement in the warmth of the sun and with some moderate, enjoyable real exercise: What better place to choose than Mazatlan with the highest lighthouse in the Americas 523 m above the sea)!

Look at the website that describes it all with additional video/pictures and details!

Tip: If you do the "climb" (now on a nicely built, solid path) after 4/5 pm, you won't run too hot even in the summer season). I still used my walking sticks, and coming down I had to be careful not to stumble, but the hike is more than half of the Grouse Grind in Vancouver (which, I believe, is somewhere short of 900 vertical meters).

Part of last years path reconstruction includes a glass bottom walk out into the void: the light reflections on the sea must be that from the nightlights of Hongkong, China:

Nxt time, I will bring my wingsuit for a 500 m flight...:

Nice views in all directions:

Some Malecon Shots

While waiting for the damn circus to open, I was sitting at the Malecon breakwater wall, enjoying the view. Even during this off-season time (as far as tourists go), lots of people come and picnic and swim...

Here is a look back at the ice Box Hill - my house is just to the left of the larger brown building:

(The above view is exactly the one El Chapo Guzman would have had from his hideout hotel room before he got arrested the first time many years ago....

Circus Time - almost

When did you last hearing about a circus coming to town in Canada? Well, there is the big circus school in Quebec, Circus de Soleil or something, and sometimes they may perform in Canada, but then only in big cities, eh?

The last circus I attended was some time in the 2000s in St. Vincent of all places: It was a small setup and great fun: Rick may remember that they brought out some tiny lion pups for kids to pet and handle (warning: they (and, if you touch them, your hands) stink like hell, but maybe they were not kept cleanly...

 But then I discovered here a setup of a smaller circus right along the Malecon - and I was eager to go (expecting to be in the good company of a lot of cheering little kids). I tried to find out about their performance time. A young girl I spotted near the entrance told me it ould be on Monday at 7 and at 8. A sign said it would be 7:30, and some workers at the amusement park said it would be at 7. A lady picking up some garbage said it would be at 8.

I camped out at the side with the cooling ocean breeze fanning my back - but even as late as 7:30 there was nobody lining up or showing up at the gate by 7:30 last Monday - and as the sun was setting I gave up and went home. In the Caribbean I had learned about "Caribbean Time", here I guess we are dealing with "Mexican Time" which does not show on my dial...But here are some pix  of the circus - maybe I will try again on the weekend.

 : And here the empty/deserted entrance over an hour

POSTSCRIPT:

Yesterday I went to the area to enjoy a sunset at the beach and found that the circus is gone - all taken down and disappeared. Oh well, there will be another some time. 

Cinco de Mayo - any idea what this all about?

It is a national holiday - but NOT the Mexican Independence celebration (which takes place in September!).

If anything is going on in town - I will not know or see, because I still am not mobile enough to go and find out (particularly not on this rather hot day). My impression is that everybody is sleeping today because it is really quiet in this neighborhood.

So, in case you care: there are of course several videos and stories out there, such as this one on YouTube: The day commemorates the victory of Mexican forces over a French army in Puebla, southern Mexico.

Desayunos Mexicanos

Mexican breakfast: Lots of restaurants, indoors or roadside, serve breakfast menus - and usually there are a lot of choices on the menu - a "rancho" type is a safe way to go. For about 5 dollars (60 Pesos) you will get a salsa dish, with crisp breads, some chili peppers and maybe some cottage cheese. I had a near-death experience after stupidly eating an entire little green pepper. In the future, I will know better. It was mucho picante!

Then comes the main dish - and I think there none that come without the obligatory refried bean serving or with a package of soft tacos - which was too much for me. So, the cost was  60 pesos for all the foods - but a soft drink (without which I indeed might have died) and coffee afterward added another 60, which I felt was a bit out of proportion. Never mind, it was all affordable. 

Next to my table was a group of some 15 ladies - maybe from a neighborhood morning hour athletic club: they all looked very strong and fit:

Canadian Flag Flying in Mexico

Lounging on the balcony, I look across to the hillside about500 m away, and I see someone flying a huge Canadian flag in his backyard.

What is this about: Look at me, I am a proud Canadian. I am better than you, I am richer and can afford to live on this choice property (maybe own it, even?). Right in the middle of this city and country. I want you to know that I am a Canadian. Why do you want anyone to know this? To keep people away, to attract them, to welcome Canadian tourists to your place, or keep them away – “this place is taken already”!

I feel like going over there (should be 25 min hike) and ask the guy these questions, just to find out why he is flying this damn flag in this host country as a foreigner, to say or demonstrate what? Just like to hear what he thinks and feels about this, no offense.

When I see “foreigners” flying their flags in countries other than their own, I am never happy and think it is inappropriate to do that, and I am not quite so sure why I feel that way. In my dwelling in Vancouver (Canada), I actually am flying a foreign flag: the Vincentian one, a very beautiful design. I do this because it reminds me of the good times I had in that country, as a sign of gratitude and because it looks beautiful – and because my grandson has the Vincentian nationality – it being his country of birth. I don’t know whether he cares it is hanging up on the wall, but I think he well should. And maybe at some time he will – but I think he and I should hang it up in our private home and not stick it out of the window – and what would that be good for?

What do you think? Please comment below!

Mexico April 2019

Hola Amigos!

I am visiting Mexico again for a few weeks – after having had my two knee replacement surgeries this winter and suffering a bit for several months of rehabilitation in cold Vancouver, I really had an urge to enjoy the the warmth of the south and many times dreamed of swinging in a hammock or lounging on a recliner without having to wear much clothing and let the sun heal me. So, still limping and using a walking stick, I boarded a flight to Mazatlan – this time using a new carrier called “SWOOP” flying out of Abbotsford. The base price was $161 (plus some 60 dollars for extra leg space and checking 1 bag), compared with Westjet flights that were all listed at over $1000.-!).

But the healing process here in the Mexican sun was somewhat not quite to be, at least during the first week: After a 10 min sunbath, I developed a photo-activated Type 4 Immune reaction with lots of itching on chest and thighs. I have no idea which of the several drugs I was taking (with to exceptions all had been with me on previous visits). I am sure the stress of surgery somehow was partly or fully responsible for this unusual and unexpected reaction. Anyway, halfway through a course of prednisone treatment, I fell OK now and within a day or two might risk exposure to the sun again and see what happens.

In any case, tourist season with its influx of Americans and Canadians is basically over anyway – but it is not too hot at all and not rainy as yet. I went to our old trailer court site at Burritos today – but none of our old neighbors and friends were there anymore and the place feels like a morgue. OK, so I have to make the best of it – this time staying close to the Historic Center of Mazatlan, In Joan’s and Randy’s house, while they are underway in Canada. In a previous blog, from my last visit, I showed a lot of pictures of the location of their house, and not too much has happened in terms of interior finishing work. But there is running hot and cold water, windows are in, and the balcony has a secure wall around it and lots of sun – as long as you can tolerate it which, I hope, I will able to do once this initial problem I developed is taken care of.