Mexico 2008.1

Mexico 2008

On Valentine's Day 2008 we flew to Mazatlan to begin a time of rest and reflection.

As we pulled in to La Marina we were met by Mary Ann Corning, our next door neighbor from Wenatchee. She and Jack had been down here for two weeks and they made a reservation for us at the special Valentine dinner at the hotel. It was a very memorable evening and we had some great times with them during the next week.

One day we drove three hours north to Dimas and the petroglyph museum at Las Labrades, where we walked miles along the unspoiled beaches. We saw thousands of sea birds, crabs, and a fascinating recreated village of the pre-Columbian native people who carved the artistic/religious motifs in hundreds of rocks that are still out in the open, washed twice daily by the tides. It is amazing that no government agency has removed these rocks for protection. This is a priceless monument to the human heritage yet the stones are simply resting on the beach for all to see, touch and photograph. We were the only people there and as there is only one small sign, it is not surprising. This is not in any guidebook and there is no clearly marked exit. If you want to find it, travel 50 kilometers north of Mazatlan on the new Autopiste. At a turnaround near the 50 K road marker ,exit the freeway by turning left and drive about 7 K down a dirt road that winds by a village, under a railroad track and dead ends at the beach. The museum is well worth the trip. Hope you enjoy the attached photos.

Later in the week we spent several hours with Luis, the owner of the beach just south of the museum. He has owned the property for many years, but has not had the time or money to develop it. Since it is about 3 miles of pristine beachfront, Jack is convinced it could be a world class destination resort. It is also the subject of a title dispute. The local natives claim ownership under the "Ejido" laws form the 1930's. Until the title question is resolved in court, nothing will happen here. However, someday, we expect to see a fantastic resort. The model for this may be a resort owned by Luis at San Blas, a tiny town in the jungle three hours south of Mazatlan. There, surrounded by the ocean and dozens of natural mango swamps and waterways, an old fishing village welcomes ecotourists for bird watching and fishing trips.

Fishing in the Sea of Cortez may be the best in the world. Jack and Dale went out one day and caught over 30 fish. Among the catch were three huge Groupers, one weighed 25 lbs. Also they caught Conejos (rabbit fish) Trigger fish and Rock Cod. Gail cooked four of the Conejos and we had a great dinner. (Her recipe included crushed cashews and sweet red peppers, you should ask her for it.) We took plenty of photos of the fishing day, including proof of all the fish, but they are on our other camera and we will have to download the photos when we get home.

The food is as good as ever. And we enjoyed it for three days with Kyle and Ann, who flew down on President's Weekend for an all too brief mini vacation. Go to Ann's blog to see some great photos of the places we walked and the seafood.

Mazatlan 2008

Now that all the friends and family have gone home, we spend at least three hours a day walking the beach and the rest of the time reading and writing. Gail has been transposing music for the church choir. Dale is writing some essays on various topics and researching his upcoming trip to India. This is a very sweet place to contemplate the next chapter in our lives.