Overlooking the harbor and our anchorage

Well Jerry and I made it to Mazatlan on Wednesday December 14th around 8am, after 198 miles of open sea that took around 40 hours we pulled in and anchored in Mazatlan Harbor, Club Nautico.  There are about 10 other sailboats, and a bunch of fishing boats in the anchorage with us.  This is a very busy harbor, we ever boats of every sort coming and going all day and night, but we are still enjoying it.  The only things is it has been very foggy in the mornings the last two days, so the cruise ships that start coming in around sun up have been blowing their fog horns starting around 5am.  We get about 3 cruise ships in the morning coming in then leaving around 6pm, also ferries traveling back and forth to La Paz, and lots of shrimp, fishing and tour boats all day long.  Jerry and I have been enjoying watching all the traffic coming and going, when it is not foggy. 

three cruise ships about to leave

the ferry at night time

At club Nautico there is a dingy dock, showers (though Jerry and I don't think we will be using them, kind of dirty), trash cans to use all for a small fee.  There is a gated entrance that is locked at night, along with guards all day to watch the dingy and the anchorage.  The first day Jerry and I walked up to one of the main road to look around.  There is going to be alot to see in Mazatlan, we ended having lunch at one of the many little restaurants along the malacon, then took a pulmonis taxi back to the harbor. 

Yesterday we took one of the local buses up to the Centro Mercado, which is by far the biggest market we have gone through yet.  The produce was unbelievable, so plentiful and with such vibrant colors, along with queso fresco, seafood, spices and gifts.  We walked up to the upper level were the loncherieas were ( many different lunch eateries), we chose the one that had some seating outside, we had chicken soup, enchiladas, fries and bistek rancheros and two sodas for less than 10 bucks, yes we will be trying more of those places. 

We walked throught the Catedral Basilica de la Inmaculada Concepcion, inside the large cathedral hundereds of flowers decorating the beautiful, colorful artwork.



Across the street is the Plaza de la Republica, which was surrounded by venders, shoe polishers, a guy you could pay to take a picture with his donkey. 

Jerry standing in the gazebo in the plaza

While walking through Old Mazatlan I could not help but be at awe of the colorful building everywhere, the town for the most part was clean, but every building had bars on the windows and doors.  We ended up walking back down to the malacon stopped at a few bars for some quality people watching and to enjoy the view of the pacific ocean. 

Jerry infront of a canyon by the malecon

streets full of colorful buildings

Jerry and I over looking Olas Altas Beach on the malecon

We have had a great first two days here and can't wait to see more sights, I do hope the fog does not go on the whole time we are here, but it does seem to burn off in the afternoon and warm up to about 79 degrees, but it is making it hard for me to get motivated in the morning to go running with Skeeter.