11/18/09
Arrived in Mazatlan around noon on 11/18. Being right near the tropic of cancer, there hasn't been a significant change in our weather other than being a bit more tropical. Ironically, for Charlee and Luke right now in science we are studying biomes and the transition zones between them, and well, here we are right on the line between the northern temperate zone and the tropical zone. Mazatlan has been nice and there is everything here we need for getting ready for our next few legs. We have been into the older part of Mazatlan and visited the Cathedral, A catholic church built in the 1800's, very beautiful. The pool here at Marina El Cid is great. There are caves, waterfalls and high rocks to dive from. The iguanas roam around this place like squirrels. Kyle and Trevor were able to make it down for a few days and spend Thanksgiving with us, and an abbreviated tour of Mazatlan which included an attempted tour of the Pacifico Factory (field trip) but you have to be 15 years old to enter. Charlee and Luke were bummed. Next stop was the Mazatlan Aquarium, much less educational than the P.F. Transportation around here are by small five seat open air taxis they call pulminias, which translated means pneumonia. All they are, are modified VW's that give you carbon monoxide poisoning if the ride is very far. As I mentioned, there is everything here we need and a lot of things we don't, such as traffic, smog, lots of places to spend money, etc. Which is why we are once again anxious to depart. As of now, looks like a Tuesday 12/1 departure for an overnight passage to the small island of Isla Isabela. From there we should be headed for either San Blas or Chacala, then into Banderas Bay where we'll be anchored in La Cruz then into port at Paradise Marina, Nuevo Vallarta around the 15 or so. Up date you then.