We are in Mazatlan this week. No photos to post this time!  Hope we can get a few while we are here to share later.

We left Ajijic on Tues. morning and it was cold and rainy.  The rain was gone by the time we got to the other side of Guadalajara, and as we drove north, it became steadily warmer.  Beautiful here!  We were graciously invited to come visit a friend who owns a place at Estrella del Mar, which is about 20 km south of Maz.  Their unit is about 100 yds. from the beach and the view out the back deck is of the pool(s), the beach and the ocean as far as the eye can see.

Yesterday we went in to Mazatlan to see the town and to find out what we could about Carnaval happenings there this week.  Not too much yet, although we did get to see a large group of kids aged from about 6 - 18 dressed up in full Carnaval gear (the older girls with the skimpy, shiney outfits and the head gear with huge feathers) practicing their dance routine.  Down by the water their were massive paper mache figures to represent the theme ("la Fiesta de los Imperios").  This is their 114th Mardi Gras celebration!  Unfortunately, with tourism down so drastically, it will probably be a much smaller attendance than the 60,000 visitors they are used to getting each year.  We went to the top of one of the oldest tourist hotels in town (12 fl. high, built in 1944).  From the top you could see all the bays and all the various landmarks in the entire area.  Fantastic view!

Today Gregg is fishing, and there was some stormy weather this morning so I hope he and our host are OK.  Cell phone reception is not good from out on the water, so if they ran into trouble I wouldn't immediately know about it. It's not a very large boat they are in, but with a local guy who takes gringo fishermen out for a living, so he knows his stuff and the local water and its challenges.