Today I’m taking a more serious tone. Summer in the coastal towns of México are HOT. Hot AND Muggy. Today in Mazatlán it’s 92 f/33 c and the humidity is 71%. This is a dangerous combination if you don’t prepare yourself.
Today was also a cruise ship day. During my brief (yes, it got too hot even for me. I stopped when my fitbit said I’d walked my 10k steps) stint as a Mazatlán Tourist Aide Volunteer I saw several cruise ship passengers whose faces were bright red. After exiting the cruise ship terminal, tourists can elect to see Mazatlán a few different ways.
First, they can take a tour from a tour group. Big, air conditioned buses with tinted windows that drive them around the city and have someone who speaks English giving them history. Second, they can take a pulmonia (it’s like a fun golf cart) or a taxi, or an auriga, or a mini-van. Pulmonia’s hold about four people. Taxi’s might hold five. I’ve seen about ten people in an auriga (they’re red converted flatbed trucks). Mini-van’s hold about the same as an auriga, but they’re not open-air. Whichever of these are chosen, they normally provide the same kind of experience as the group tours – but are a little more personal. And they stop in the places the tour buses are too big to go. Third, they can walk. There’s a blue painted line from the cruise ship terminal that leads people into the historic section of town. It’s not a short walk if you aren’t used to walking.
And it was the latter group of cruise ship passengers that I saw having trouble today. HOT. Did I say it was HOT? The fifteen to twenty minute walk from the cruise ship terminal to Centro might seem a short time – but it can wipe you out in this heat. Please bring/buy a big bottle of water. One for each person. Stroll, don’t power walk. Sit in shade (yes, you can find it here) when you feel the need. Stop at a restaurant for a bite and something cold to drink so you can cool down. Scrap the walking idea and grab a pulmonia for a tour. Do whatever it takes to avoid heat exhaustion/heat stroke. Whatever it takes.
We actually had a couple, already sweating profusely (and no water bottles in sight), tell us they’d rather keep walking than spend six dollars to have a pulmonia drive them to their destination. Don’t be these people. Whether you’re playing tourist, or resident – be mindful of the weather and just don’t take chances with your health. We want your visit in Mazatlán to be memorable – because you fell in love with our city, not because you had a medical emergency here.
Please take a couple of minutes and read the article about heat exhaustion from the Mayo Clinic. They give symptoms and steps to take to prevent you from getting it. Being informed is the main step for never getting to the point where medical attention is needed. And when you’re in a coastal city in México, enjoy! But check the weather and plan accordingly.
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