Two cruise ships in port today, last one is leaving right now. Each ship usually has between 4,000 and 5,000 people on board – passengers and crew. I haven’t signed up for the tourist aide shifts due to my neck, but it was enough better that I can actually turn enough to check both ways before I cross the street, so I threw on the shirt and hit the pavement.
At the beginning of my route I ran into Roger Culbertson, who both sold me my apartment and started the Mazatlán Tourist Aides. And with him was someone I’ve followed on Facebook for several years, but not yet met – so had a nice few minutes saying hello.
I saw the typical tour buses, but today there were a ton of people hoofing it around town on their own! Did my usual ‘roving’ jaunt and was asked questions by the tourists at almost every landmark! Most unusual was ‘where can we find chewing tobacco’. I have absolutely NO idea! 🙂 Pointed a few people in the reverse direction than someone else had told them so they could watch the cliff divers. Escorted one woman from Olas Altas (beach/boardwalk area) to the Plazuela Machado so she could get something to eat. She wanted street tacos, but didn’t want to walk to the mercado as she’d already been there. Mazatlán has taco stands, but not so much in the touristy areas. She said she’d ditched her friends who were window shopping in the mercado – she’s my kind of traveller! Forget the kitsch, where’s the good food!
Stopped in the Mercado on the way home and picked up some chicken, machaca and a little bag of tomatoes. Still need staples, so I’ll hit the grocery tomorrow, but the ingredients for chicken, tomato, and rice soup are currently becoming dinner!
