Adventures In Mazatlán

Saturday marked the end of a 12 year journey for me! In February of 2010 I took a Méxican Riviera cruise for my late Aunt’s 97th birthday. Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlán, and Puerto Vallarta. I realized that my day trip to Tijuana in the early 1960’s was not typical and that, to my chagrin, México wasn’t some place I wanted to avoid.

Shortly after the cruise I found a timeshare week on ebay for $1 + the annual maintenance fee (then it was under $400/year). The week was in July – hot and humid, and virtually no tourists from north of the border. Coming from drizzly, cold, Seattle it was just what I needed. Having a timeshare also forced me to take a vacation, something I always seemed to put off.

Twelve years of my Costa de Oro timeshare week was three too many, since I made the move to Mazatlán, but I knew my contract would expire in 2022 so things were good. And now Saturday was the last day of my 12 year adventure! I actually checked out on Friday – Saturdays in that lobby are crazy!

They did try to get me to go to an owner’s update breakfast – but I skipped it. There really is no need for a timeshare week someplace you live! And it appears that they’ve recently fired all of the old bar staff – there were NO recognizable faces at all. Even Lucy, who had been there forever, was nowhere to be seen. Service has gone down considerably too – I sat at a bar table for over 20 minutes and no one came to see if I needed anything. They changed the pool, removing a rock/water feature. And a few years back they started charging a day use fee – even if all you wanted was a beer at the bar!

So I now have restocked my toilet paper and travel sized shampoo supply, as well as little soaps for my sink, travel sized hand sanitizer, and 4 cup coffee packets! They put me in room 983 instead of my assigned room 683 – the view was considerably nicer. So, better view and a bunch of toiletries – and a dozen years of memories. And now this adventure is complete.

¡Adios, Costa de Oro! It was a hoot.

There is sometimes a benefit to hanging around other ex-pats! Today while I was doing a Mazatlán Tourist Aide Volunteer shift I stopped and talked to another volunteer. He told me about an app he uses that has most of the bus routes on it!

What??? There’s an app???? Yes, there is! Does it have them all? No. Sabalo-Centro is not there, nor is Sabalo-Cerritos. Many of the Juárez lines aren’t there either. But many routes ARE on the app. I cannot vouch for accuracy though. Time, and exploration will tell!

If you have an android phone, you can find the app here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.esoftmovil.enrutate. I don’t have an iPhone, so you’ll have to find the app on your own!

Cities other than Mazatlán are available as well, so this could be a very handy application!

Speaking of the buses, rates just went up. Air conditioned buses are supposed to be 12.5 pesos. 11 pesos for the buses without air conditioning. The Sabalo-Centro line believes they’re worth an extra .50 (because they’re painted green?), so be prepared to pay 13 pesos for each ride. If you’re disabled rides are supposed to be free, and students pay 3.5 pesos. I’m finding it a good way to rid myself of the .50 centavo coins that I’ve accumulated … the other way is by ordering a half-kilo of tortillas that are now 23 pesos a kilo! Lol.

A little update to my last post … El Chepe apparently still does go to Chihuahua! Evidently there are still two different trains. I had been told that the Chihuahua stop had been eliminated and that everything was consolidated into three classes of fares between Creel and Los Mochis. And that’s what the El Chepe website (https://chepe.mx/) says. Until you enter the ultra secret url: https://chepe.mx/chepe-regional/. El Chepe Regional and El Chepe Express. Two different trains with different sets of stops.

The caveat is that you cannot book tickets on El Chepe Regional online. You either have to visit one of the ticket counters (Los Mochis and Chihuahua both have them – not sure about the other stops) or call to get tickets. If you want to use both trains on one trip, you also have to ride further on El Chepe Express.

So there you have it – you can ride El Chepe from Los Mochis to Chihuahua city!!! Woo! Creel is definitely a stop you should spend a couple of days in, but going one step further to Chihuahua is even better!

I’m doing my last stay-cation at the Costa de Oro. The timeshare contracts all expire this year, and my two weeks there will go poof. One already has. They’re being sneaky this time – they have a separate table for owners to check-in, and they’re getting everyone to sign up for an ‘owners update’ breakfast. Fine print on the reminder note says you have to bring a credit card with you. So I signed up to get the check-in process going smoother, and then the afternoon before I’m going to leave them a note at the front desk telling them I can’t make it. I can’t – it’s a Wednesday and the cruise ship Panorama is in port. I will need to do a Mazatlán Tourist Aide Volunteer shift! One great thing is they put me in a different room this year – my assigned room is 683 and this time I’m in 983! The view from an extra three floors makes a BIG difference from the balcony!

My twelve years as an owner were nice, but the ONLY reason I would want to go back to the property is to visit Lucy in the bar – and she hasn’t been there the last two days, the possibility that she has retired is very high. All of the other servers appear to have been replaced as well – the only people I recognize now are a couple of security guys. Don’t get me wrong – the Costa de Oro is a great location in the Gold Zone. The beach is nice, and having dinner at Adobes with the waves crashing against the seawall at high tide is always fun. I just don’t need to get away from my apartment for a week at the other end of town!

So this week I wake up, water my plants, walk up to Benito Juárez and catch the Sablo-Centro bus to the Costa de Oro. Then I change into my beach attire, spend some time on the beach, come back for a quick shower and change back into my street clothes, then bus back home! Lol. I might stay overnight one day – just so I can hit a restaurant or two (Casita Maria is always an enjoyable experience – as is F.I.S.H.). So much fun to be had I don’t know what to do with myself 🙂 Lol!

It’s been a while since I’ve talked about excursions so I thought I’d put a few out there for people to consider. Now that it’s a tad hot and humid, a little get-away someplace else might be to your liking.

Las Barrancas del Cobre / Copper Canyon

Copper Canyon is accessed in one of three ways. You can get there by car. You can get there by bus. Or, you can get there by riding the extremely fun El Chepe train. Four times bigger than the Grand Canyon in the USA, Las Barrancas del Cobre is a stunning visual treat.

If your español isn’t too good then I suggest you search the internet for a tour; otherwise you can use their website and email to book tickets on El Chepe. There are three classes of travel, first class, executive class, and passenger class. Prices vary by class as do access to amenities. El Chepe has a website here: https://chepe.mx/en/

Stops you may be interested in are: Los Mochis, El Fuerte, Bahuichivo, Divisadero, and Creel. When you book your ticket, you can do it in multiple segments so you can experience these stops for more than a few minutes.

Divisadero is the main area for viewing Copper Canyon, and access to the adventure park is also at this stop. If you only stop one place, this should be it – and stay for multiple days so you can experience the area fully.

Creel also has a lot to offer … there are stone formations (my favorite is the valley of the monks – google it!), a popular local lake, and two waterfalls. In the winter you will likely encounter snow, so bundle up!

El Fuerte has it’s namesake fort which is now a tourist site – and interesting if you like Méxican history. They also have some darned good food, and if you’re lucky – and staying at the Hotel Posada del Hidalgo – you might even get to see a show by Zorro!

Sadly when I did the trip I didn’t stop in Bahuichivo, and only did an overnight in Los Mochis where I caught the bus to Mazatlán early in the morning. I plan on correcting my haste on the next trip! When I rode El Chepe it also went from Creel to Chihuahua; it’s a shame they’ve dropped that stop as Chihuahua is very nice and I enjoyed my time there.

Since I took the bus back to Mazatlán from Los Mochis I wasn’t able to stop in Culiacán. I definitely would want to stop in Culiacán if I were taking a tour. Heck, if I did the trip again, I’d bus to Culiacán for a couple of days, then bus from there to Los Mochis. Culiacán has a fantastic Botanical Garden, and I’d just like to check out the capital of the state I live in!

Here’s a video about the adventure park in Copper Canyon to get you motivated! Youtube has some pretty good videos about El Chepe as well – if this interests you then by all means do a search!

Edit: A little update to my last post … El Chepe apparently still does go to Chihuahua! Evidently there are still two different trains. I had been told that the Chihuahua stop had been eliminated and that everything was consolidated into three classes of fares between Creel and Los Mochis. And that’s what the El Chepe website (https://chepe.mx/) says. Until you enter the ultra secret url: https://chepe.mx/chepe-regional/. El Chepe Regional and El Chepe Express. Two different trains with different sets of stops.

Another video:

The caveat is that you cannot book tickets on El Chepe Regional online. You either have to visit one of the ticket counters (Los Mochis and Chihuahua both have them – not sure about the other stops) or call to get tickets. If you want to use both trains on one trip, you also have to ride further on El Chepe Express.

So there you have it – you can ride El Chepe from Los Mochis to Chihuahua city!!! Woo! Creel is definitely a stop you should spend a couple of days in, but going one step further to Chihuahua is even better!

Las Labradas

My second selection is Las Labradas. This is just a little North of Mazatlán and offers petroglyphs on the beach. It’s a very interesting day trip that you can supposedly arrange with several of the tour operators. When I went, only Onca Explorations (https://www.facebook.com/oncaexplorations/) would take me. The other tour operators either didn’t respond to my requests, or said no. Onca Explorations did have a 4 person minimum, so get some friends to go with you!

Here’s a short video about Las Labradas to give you an idea of what to expect:

Durango City, Durango

My last choice is a trip to Durango. I took the bus, and it was dark out going there so I missed the scenery AND getting to see the Baluarte bridge. The bridge is probably the biggest thing you’ll miss by taking the bus, even if you head out in daylight. Tours usually stop somewhere for a photo op, and the bus definitely does not! I did come home in daylight so I saw parts as we drove around corners and hills! It was something I wish I’d seen more of – but for the price difference between a tour and the bus, I was good!

Things to do in Durango include a trip over the city on their gondola – which allows you a really good view. If you’re into churches there seemed to be one on every other street, enough to keep you happy! Durango has interesting museums, and some really good restaurants too. Another tourist attraction is a wild west town used for movie productions, and also for western re-enactment shows. This is another option where a tour would come in handy – but I would bet you could get local transportation to/from it if you wanted to do it on your own.

Ok! So there you have it. There’s a trip that you can easily spend a week on (El Chepe/Copper Canyon). Another trip that you’d want to spend 3 or 4 days doing (Durango City). And a day trip from Mazatlán (Las Labradas). Only Las Labradas will keep you in the heat, but you’ll be on the beach with a nice breeze!

Both Las Labradas and Durango are easily done by yourself if you have a car. El Chepe/Copper Canyon is probably a 5 or 6 on the 1 to 10 difficulty scale to arrange yourself if you don’t speak español. Not super easy, but definitely do-able with the help of google translate.

Previously I would have recommended a particular tour guide – but I had a bad experience with him and will never refer anyone to him again. It’s too bad as when he started he was more interested in showing people México from his viewpoint than he was in doing gringo tours to jewelry shops (fyi – that jewelry is almost always not from México). So now I just suggest you check out the local tour operators and chose the one that fits your budget and timing.

Another visit to Fonda la Chilanga (https://www.facebook.com/jonathanfondalachilangaes) near the corner of Zaragoza and Dr. Carvajal. I have a particular fondness for tacos de canasta, and they made a Facebook post saying that they were serving them today. I don’t know if they have them every day (they aren’t on the regular menu), if it’s a Saturday thing, or if it is just something for today.

They had three kinds, none of which were my favorite, chicharrón (which they do have for other menu items). There were tacos de canasta con papas y chorizo, something I don’t remember, and tacos de canasta con frijol. It was a tough decision, but I ordered three with the potatoes and chorizo even though frijol can be quite tasty if you have the right salsa.

If you haven’t had tacos de canasta (basket tacos) you’ve missed out! Not that many places offer them in Mazatlán so when you find them order quick! They’re made and layered (like their name) in a basket, typically with some type of liquid (stock/water/oil) on them to keep them moist. When you eat them they have a totally different texture and flavor profile. Soft, wet, rich – flavors that explode in your mouth! If you haven’t already, turn on Netflix and watch their docu-series called ‘Taco Chronicles’. One episode is about tacos de canasta!

Fonda la Chilanga normally serves foods you’d find in México City. Huraches, Quesadillas, Tlacoyos, and Gorditas (not the tiny ones some places sell here). They’re all made by hand to order. Today I sat at the counter around the griddle. Yes, it was 90 f. outside. Yes, the waitress told me I could sit at a table under a fan. But it was more fun at the griddle, and there was a nice breeze coming in so I was pretty comfortable. It was interesting to see them make the gorditas – they took masa, put the filling on it, then formed it into a ball. On the griddle they flattened it out and cooked it – I’d only seen them made once before and the filling was added after the masa had cooked. This way looked much easier!

So, three tacos de canasta con papas y chorizo. They weren’t enough to fill me up, even with the jamaica I ordered. So I asked for a chicharrón hurache. That got me to the full limit quickly, and then some! I really should have ordered a tlacoyo (it’s smaller) or at least have asked for half of the hurache to-go, but no … I ate it. And then I stumbled back home! Two hours later my food coma passed and I was back on my feet again!

Total bill was $140 pesos ($7 usd). Three tacos de canasta, a hurache, and a liter of jamaica. Food and service were both great. The chicharrón was a tad salty, but not enough to keep me from eating it. I did a previous review of them that you can read here: https://www.mazatlanweekly.com/2022/03/21/fonda-la-chilanga/. If you’re in Centro around Zaragoza give Fonda la Chilanga a try – you’ll be happy you did!

Just a little update on Tacos y Tortas Ahogadas “El Mono” (corner of Zaragoza and German Evers. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elmono.tortasahogadas). They, like most other places recently, have had a little increase in the price of their menu offerings. Tortas Ahogadas are now 65 pesos each. Delivery, at least to my location, is still 5 pesos. This is the second price increase in 3 weeks, so hopefully they settle down for a while! If you don’t need a plastic spoon, or the limes, please let them know so they can save a few centavos.

Also a caveat – I sometimes make the mistake of putting my hands into the bag that contains the onions in the salsa de arbol. Then I regret it as either my hand burns for a few hours, or I don’t scrub my hands well enough and then scratch an itch in a sensitive place; and again the regret (to varying degrees depending on where the itch was) makes a visit. Save yourself the anguish and use a fork!

Another price increase I noticed was at Loncheria Zambrano (Aquiles Serdan near Ángel Flores). Their Tortas de Pierna are also now 65 pesos. Their tortas are very very big, and if you don’t eat a lot one of their sandwiches could definitely be two meals, especially if you add a side dish or two. (Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LoncheriaZambrano). There’s a little video about them here: https://fb.watch/d-0P4Gh9qQ/ that shows the torta and their tostada.

Almost a month ago I started feeling sick. Strange symptoms – first the left side of my neck hurt. The next day it was the right. Then my neck was fine and it was my shoulders that hurt. Then the baseball bat came out and beat the crap out of me. Acute pericarditis along with something bad going on with my lungs. I smoked for 30+ years and my lungs aren’t up for all that much anyway – so this was really unpleasant. The first week I had jolts of electricity go through me every time I took a breath. I think it was my heart complaining that it was on fire and THEN my lungs would squeeze it when I tried to breathe. Throw in some general aches and pains that thankfully 1000 mg of tylenol every 6 hours dealt with, some malaise, and not feeling like eating (still could taste/smell), and you have my last month.

So no updates here. My little Mazatlán Weekly project did get updated, with the exception of two days I just couldn’t move. So, was it Covid-19? Something in the jamaica I drank somewhere? Could it have been the rusty railing I licked (kidding!)? Whatever it was I really do feel like someone took that bat to me and beat me up but good. But I have wandered outside again – did some grocery shopping today. I’ve gone back to more frequent hand washings AND using my hand sanitizer though! I hadn’t gotten to the point where I ditched the mask when around people – and won’t now until I’m darned sure I won’t get that again. If it was Covid-19 then I really feel for the people who don’t get vaccinated/boosted and then get it – If it was Covid-19 and it hit me that hard I can only imagine what they would go through.

During my not very active month, I did find a fun plugin for Chrome (and possibly other browsers) called ‘Toucan – Language Learning’ (https://jointoucan.com/?noDashboardRedirect=true). It lets you select a language and then every website you go to some of the words will randomly translate to that language! If you hover over the word then you get to see the translation and hear the pronunciation.

I also had some very good experiences with Rappi. They’re a delivery system – all sorts of things can be delivered in addition to the standard food order. One day I even had them bring me more tylenol! My kitchen is pretty well stocked so I didn’t go hungry, but I did have three food takeout orders. Unfortunately I used Uber Eats one night to order a pizza from La Rustica. The app showed the pizza being made, then it showed a driver assigned to do the delivery. Delivery time kept adjusting forward until it went beyond the ‘latest delivery’ time. All the while the app showed the driver sitting at home (I’m just guessing where he was – but wherever it was he was there the whole time).

Regular Uber has cancelled on me so many times that now I just walk up the few blocks to Aquiles Serdan and grab a taxi from the sitio. I’ve had it with them, and I highly recommend that others use didi or a pulmonia/taxi as well. Fun thing is that after I had my pizza money refunded, I got on Rappi and placed another order (for a different type pizza – sorry La Rustica, I didn’t want the one you had sitting there for an hour) – which went very well. They were here before the estimated time!

Speaking of food orders – one of mine was for some Chinese take out from Wok Express. It was actually rather comforting Méxican/Chinese food. Not an ‘OMG this is great’ experience, but it was a solid 6 out of 10. I will have to say, however, that the second word in Chow Mein means noodles in Chinese. Mein does not mean rice – which is what my order came with. Other than that, and the [there always has to be] cream cheese in the egg rolls, it was satisfying to my suffering self.

So I mentioned I went grocery shopping today. I took a moment to compare prices to what I paid last year (don’t go there – I *do* keep track of my grocery purchases). Almost everything was up, and it varied from a little to a lot. White onions were almost doubled! Crazy. I know there have been problems with avocados and limes – which I never buy, but I feel for people on fixed incomes or who don’t get cost of living adjustments!

I do have something fun planned – I want to hop on all the buses and map them. Yes, I know there are already some maps. Yes I know that the one mainstay map did get a recent update. However I see MANY different buses going to Col. Juárez (they go past my apartment) – and I NEVER see them on any of the maps. I have an app on my phone that generates a map when I walk – and it works when on a bus too, so hopefully in the next couple of weeks when I’m feeling back to myself I’ll be able to get the project started! Until then it’s recover on the couch time!

I’m doing a little reorganization of my in-home entertainment choices (i.e. television offerings) and thought I’d share in a little more detail what I use to give me television and movies here in Mazatlán.

First, I use smartdnsproxy (https://www.smartdnsproxy.com/?afid=27708a335f7e) to make many services think I’m in the USA. You can change your internet router fairly easily to use smartdnsproxy, and then all of the devices in your home will work. Alternatively you can make changes to your PC / phone / tablet / laptop / etc. so some use it, and some do not. Smartdnsproxy works by changing the way your internet requests are processed, so it’s not a VPN. They do have vpn services available though, in case you have need of one. I did try other services and found that they didn’t work where I am.

Smartdnsproxy does need to know your IP number, so if your internet provider changes it, you will suddenly lose access to your entertainment options … a minute or two spent updating your account with smartdnsproxy takes care of everything and you’ll be back in business! TelMex likes to change mine about every two weeks – so when I have a problem that’s the first thing I check.

I also use a Roku attached to my television. Roku makes my ‘smart’ tv even smarter. And it makes ‘dumb’ tv’s smart! Best of all, there is no monthly service charge for a Roku device. Once you’ve bought yours, there are no more expenses (other than your paid channels). With Roku you’ll have access to several free television and movie channels. Freevee. Pluto. Local Now. Crackle. The Roku Channel. ABC News. Tubi. All the paid channels are there too, like Paramount+, Disney+, HBO, Showtime, Netflix, Hulu, Sling, etc. There’s even a channel that lets you watch local news channels from many cities in the USA (‘newson’). Yes, the ‘free’ channels have commercials – but so do cable channels and you have to pay for those. Some of the channels do require you to have a provider in order to work – Like ABC, NBC, and CBS (you can watch CBS if you have Paramount+). I still have a house in the USA and have internet + tv there (for my security cameras), so I can link that so my ABC, NBC, and CBS channels on the Roku will give me live broadcasts. With smartdnsproxy sometimes they’re from Tampa and sometimes from LA – The only thing I don’t like is that Tampa’s ABC affiliate doesn’t show Jeopardy!

For several years I subscribed to Sling TV. Recently I sat myself down and realized that for the ONE channel it provided that others didn’t, it wasn’t worth the money I was spending. So I killed it on the 1st of the month. So far I’m not going through withdrawals – and I’ve discovered that there are other ways to get that one channel as well – at least on my PC. So now my paid channels are down to Hulu, Netflix, Paramount+, and Disney+. Hulu and Netflix for general television and movie watching, Paramount+ for the Star Trek shows, and Disney+ because they have the Marvel shows. Hulu and Disney+ (as well as ESPN) are bundled, so the price is pretty affordable.

So, while I’ve cut the cord on cable I’m still paying a little under $50 a month for the paid channels AND smartdnsproxy. I was paying more than that just for Sling TV. I could definitely knock it down a little more but right now it’s about the right place and provides what I like.

Today is Mother’s Day in México – so happy mother’s day if it so applies/applied to you!

I thought I’d make an entry today about a problem I have with a couple of things about living in Mazatlán (and México in general). Both of them are foods. Some things are not easy to find here. Asian food is probably the biggest one of all. I’d found a place that made a decent chow mein, and now they’re closed. The one Korean place that opened has horrible food and internet-trolls who lurk in the Mazatlan foodies groups to tell everyone how wonderful it is … it’s not, believe me. But they do sell a decent kimchi. Expensive, but available. I’m not going to give them any press so you’ll have to figure out who and where they are on your own 😉 Lol.

Also not easy to find are ethnic foods from Europe. I’ll submit that they aren’t all that easy to find in Seattle where I came from too – not easy, but I ‘could’ find them. Two of my favorite foods that I can’t find here are sauerkraut and white borscht. Thankfully both of these are fairly easy to prepare yourself, with just a little time and a trip to the Mercado Hidalgo in Col. Juárez.

Sauerkraut is the easiest – take a head of cabbage and shred it. Weigh it, calculate 2% and add that much salt to it. Knead it until liquid starts coming out then pack it into a jar and poke it a bunch more times with a muddler or a wooden spoon. Make sure there is enough juice to cover the cabbage, cover loosely and sit in a warm spot. Tamp it down again every day, then at the end of two weeks tighten the lid and put it in the fridge to enjoy at your leisure! See – other than having to wait two weeks it’s easy! I find one medium to small head of cabbage fits perfectly in a large mayonnaise jar so you don’t even need to invest in fancy canning jars! When the jar is half eaten I start another batch.

Żurek (the Polish name for the white borscht) is a little more difficult – but still not impossible. If you haven’t had Żurek/White Borscht then you’ve missed out! There’s a restaurant called ‘Christina’s’ in the Greenpoint neighborhood of New York City that serves it twice a week (wed/sun?). It’s amazing – and if you’re staying at the YMCA down the street to save a couple of bucks, it’s very convenient! Anyway – Żurek is fermented rye flour with marjoram, garlic, allspice, bay leaves, and peppercorns. It’s pretty much that easy too – I’d write it all down, but here’s a video that’ll take you through it!

All of the spices can be found in the Mercado Hidalgo in Col. Juárez at the spice shop next to Carnicería Hermanos Carreón (the butcher with all the sausages). Yes, the butcher who tells me to WhatsApp him and he’ll let me know when he finds chamorro with the skin still on – then never does! 🙂 He still has good sausages! I’m pretty sure this is the sign above the spice shop – it’s down a narrow aisle at the edge of the mercado …

I will give kudos to the spice shop – they’ve had everything I’ve been looking for except for caraway seeds (ordered those from mercadolibre.com.mx) and the chile mixe (Pasilla de Oaxaca Chile) – AND they ordered the chile mixe (mee-hay) for me! I bought enough to last me a year! Lol. Most of their spice packets are ten pesos too – just incredible selection and prices!

So, to wrap this up – things may not be available directly here, but with a little effort you can bring the comforts of your childhood to you. It might take a little time. It might require a few trips and orders from internet suppliers. But you can do it!