open your eyes....

As we all know art is in the eyes of the beholder.  If you disagree with the beauty in something that others find astounding, then that is as it should be.  I seek beauty in so many spaces and places, but I am looking for the artistic element in everything because that really is my nature.

Today we hopped the bus to El Centro in search of art supplies.  I think that I mentioned that I picked up the wrong box at home and brought incorrect materials to Mazatlan...but , that really doesn't matter.  Half the fun of being in a country where you don't speak the language is discovering how to find the things that you want and , even better, how to ask for them.  That, in and of itself, is an art

El Centro is not aesthetic, so to speak, but hey, if you want the ordinary, the clean, the organized, the mundane, then you can find that almost anywhere. I kind of like the element of surprise, the tad gritty and the challenge of the game. Sometimes you sneak around the corner and find a vendor on the street that has displayed his meager goods in such an artistic manner that it is inspiring. You weave your way around Nationals doing their everyday shopping and then you listen, in hopes of picking up just a bit of the language, and, guess what, you do!!  Simple things seep into your pours and make you a better tourist. 

Please don't get me wrong.  I still yearn for the solitude and softness of sitting at a quite cafe, lingering over a  drink and lunch and teasing the locals.  These moments make you feel as if you are in another world, or maybe even another dimension.....and you are, because you are outside your normal realm....you have extended your horizons.  

It is muggy, it is hot, you have shopped, conversed, translated and walked  miles, but you know at the end of the day, you will sit in a lovely cafe, sip a margarita, have some lunch and maybe walk across the courtyard to buy a book by a local author.....lazy days, but rewarding in so many ways.  Art is more then paintings, etc. it is life at its best......one only needs to stop and look around at all the things that surround us and make life enchanting. Each day we open our eyes and ask ourselves.."what shall today bring?" ....today will bring us art, even if we do nothing more then smell a flower or look at a smile of another human.

Today I share the beauty of art as applied to a "caro".....just looking and see what I found.

There are three distinct areas in Mazatlan that we frequent; the Golden Zone, Old Town and Cerritos Beach area. 

  Golden Zone is the big resort area where we can walk to any number of restaurants, bars and shops.   It is a mixture of Nationals and Gringo's.....both sharing in all that the golden zone has to offer.  Even though it is "touristy" , so to speak, it is also where we have made friends with the vendors, shop owners and locals that work in the restaurants. They greet us each year with hugs and smiles. This is where we hop over to The Social, a lounge and coffee shop, to hear great music by Rob Lamonica and Lori Davidson.  Love sitting outside, eating a light dinner and listening to their music and banter. Highly entertaining.

 

 

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Old Town, Centro Historico, is where I go to feed my artistic soul.  I find beauty in the ruins of buildings, the carved and painted doors, and the night life at Plazuela Machado.(town square). There are a number of expats that hang out at Casa de Leyendas; many of them artist of one sort or the other.  The Historic district holds the "First Friday Art Walk".  Not only are our artistic souls feed with some amazing art, we are privy to many private homes that would otherwise be just beyond our reach.   Sitting at Macaw's, at Casa de Leyendas, across from the museum and a lovely little park, never ceases to make me want to rush home and throw myself into an art project.....this only happens after I allow myself to linger and absorb the atmosphere , nearby conversations and sip my margarita!!  Casa de Leyendas is B&B that serves up an amazing breakfast and delights with its charming rooms. 

Todays journey took us to Cerritos Beach for breakfast at Loony Bean and a short walk on the beach.  Cerritos is off the beaten path and is home to one of the "Cutest" RV parks that I have ever stumbled upon.  I swore that the place must be overrun with artistic types...I can only show you a couple of pictures and let you make up your mind. 

Just a Mariachi Band in Scraps.......

Satellite Dish!

Where the heck is that RV?

 

Adios Amigo's......................

Seeking Beauty.

We have been in Mazatlan for a week now and have spent much of the time dousing fires and creating a comfortable environment.  We aren't talking big things here, light bulbs, working washer, clean linen, .....settling in is a process.  Many people come to a third world country and expect everything to be just as it is at home, well, that isn't going to happen.  We , as tourist, live much loftier then the Nationals can even imagine. They smile at us, and the whining, try to make it better, but sometimes, as we watch the complaining, it just becomes embarrassing.  We have decided that it is best to just forge ahead, make the most of the situation, and try to become good representatives of our country.

 I remind myself often that at 8:00 A.M. in the morning I am sitting outside, sipping my coffee, listening to the birds sing and watching the Palm Fronds sway in the slight ocean breeze.   What a lovely way to spend winter.

We are settled now.  The pantry is stocked, lights are all working, washer is fixed and I am sitting in a beautiful penthouse condo.  I consider this beyond lucky, yes, a hardship might come up, here and there, but I am sitting in paradise and no snow shovel needed... 

I rolled over this morning and said to my partner....."Today I seek Beauty!"  It might be in the face of a child or a Hibiscus flower, the waves splashing on the shore, or the amazing tile work,   but it is to be found, often in the strangest.........

 

places, if only we open our eyes and look with our heart.........

Gaining Time?

Time is of the essence here in Mexico....it stops, it rolls into tomorrow, it slows and it lives creatively.  
As life slows, time expands.  All the things become possible here...especially the time for the arts. Why can't I find the same time in the U.S. ?

The first week in Mexico is kind of like going to boot camp...we take to the sidewalks and walk until our legs ache, search the beach for sea glass and check on restaurants that we loved the year before, look for old friends and greet all the vendors that we have befriended in the past. Hugs abound and time seems like it has just disappeared. 

I am settling in now....getting the condo to my liking. Sorting out problems and putting out fires..(after all , we are in Mexico)....it takes awhile, but suddenly the place feels like home and it becomes our little cozy nest. 

Sunday is a lazy day for us.  We walk to brunch and often walk the beach, but today the tide is high and we are stunned by the damage of the Sept. storm, but with each disaster comes some beauty....buildings in ruins, because of the economy, have a protective cover of Bougainville and damaged walls from the storm create their own architectural vista's and offer  lazy chats with the locals over the power of water.

I promise myself to get out the art soon....manana....