It's not all about the Tequila....

 Mazatlandian's watch their community grow each winter by leaps and bounds, it is an invasion of Americans and Canadians!  I know that you think that we all just come here to drink up all the Tequila, soak up their sun, eat all the shrimp and act a little crazy....nada, well, not all the time. We don't just  sit idly by and watch the locals serve and entertain us, but many of us  join in to help make this city a better place to live for the locals.   Along with all the eating, drinking and shopping, there are charitable events that are organized, promoted and attended by the "gringos".

Once a year the El Cid golf course echo's with the sound of girls!  Little golf carts all decorated with Boa's, balloons, bras and other girlie attire scoot around the golf course and create all kinds of laughter and fun.    It is the annual Golf for Breast Cancer Awareness Event.  Gaiety and money flows into this worthy cause. Many ex-pats have survived breast cancer and know the importance of early detection, but many nationals don't have the funds for just the simplest of test, the annual mammogram.  The worth event of golf, lunch, silent auction and guest speakers , brings the matter to the table and creates funds for awareness and research.  With much pride the event has driven down the cases of fatale breast cancer by donating funds for early detection testing.

 

 

 

The sound of the motors begin early, big tourist  busses lining up to carry us to seven amazing homes in Mazatlan.  From El Centro to El Cid we are carried away to dream about living in a tropical climate with outside patios and terraces that can be used year round.

 

 Expats from around the world have joined forces here in this busy metropolis to purchase homes in the old part of Mazatlan. The busses creak and grind their way around streets that are so hairpin that cars have a difficult time navigating.  Walls that rise 30 feet above the road and colors that climb upon each other great us and entice and tease us to enter.  IT IS THE ANNUAL HOME TOUR! I have been inside enough of these homes to know that the shabby façade gives way to homes that come straight out of your newsstand decorating magazine.  Walls that were peeling with age and years, wood that tempted the termites, floors grimy with dirt and leaves have given way to paradise.  It can take years of stress and heartache and yelling and learning the meaning of "a Mexican minute", but in the end the beauty resonates, the artistry speaks aloud and we enter another time and place where craftsman carry their work proud. 

 

I am always taken with the spaces outdoors, especially coming from a climate that celebrates  only two months of summer!  Houses often open right into the terraces and lines are merged from living indoors/outdoors. Fountains, pools, plants, outdoor kitchens, lounge chairs, birds chirping, cats lingering and the sun stream through strategically.  All is well in life.  

 

If I were ever to move here, it would be to El Centro for it feeds my soul with each breath, but the homes on the golf course at El Cid are nonetheless spectacular, but they are larger, and newer and more modern.  I can see these home linger on the pages of Architectural Digest or sitting in the hills of Beverly Hills.  Lovely, large, marbled floors, infinity pools, and the ever present maids quarters....there is no way one lady to care for all of this.  The decorating is always immaculate and often has crossed the border from the USA.

 

No matter where your heart lies there is something for everyone.  Yesterday was a special treat for some of the owners were there to give their own stories of love and strife in the ownership of a home in Mazatlan. We are all so thankful to them for opening their home, showing us their amazing art collections and supporting education and health programs.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.

 

 

. 

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....

 

Semana Santa...Familia es Todo

A few weeks ago I posted a picture of me on the beach. The response was something like ..."where is everyone?". Yes, for much of our stay in Mexico, we have long stretches of beach with only the occasional Canadian, the rare American and the ever present beach vendors. This week is different because it is Holy Week or Semana Santa.  Picture our Spring Break on steroids! The beach vendors are here, the bando's,(bands) compete for attention, the families set up day camp, the young beauties dance the Samba in the sand and the few Americans or Canadians brave enough to stay sit on the walls of hotels and take it all in....yes, we might be living life through their eyes for just a short period of time, but there are some lessons to learn also.

Beer flows with furious velocity, sand is kicked on blankets so close they cover the beach, umbrellas tangle with each other, food is shared, giggling children are watched by all, and in all this chaos nee
A fight takes place...in other words...."Vive y déjà Vivir" ....live and let live. 
Today, as we walked back from breakfast, we wove our way through children and umbrellas, vendors selling fruit and cherviche, parasails flying above us and a mass of humanity, and through all this madness came the true reason for this holiday.  Marching in a quite line, singing softly and carrying crosses came the patrons of the holiday. We have followed them in the past, watched them place the crosses in the rocky point and sat in reverence as they carried through their ritual.

On this Good Friday we see such contrast on the beach and in town, but through it all we see respect. Respect for the religion of others, respect for the way each individual chooses to celebrate and respect for the family.

In a few days it will all be over. Families will head home, memories will be tucked away, jobs will commence and children will return to school, but with such joy in their hearts.

As we walk the beach , our last week in Mazatlan, we will be reminded of many things, especially the giggles of the children, but mostly we will remember two things:
               Vive y déjà Vivir.....live and let live

                Familia es Todo ......family is everything

Not bad thoughts to live by.....

Artist are different...yes,,they are...

I began to seek my artistic abilities while living in England. Years had passed since I had "pen in hand" , so to speak, and besides I was bored out of my mind.  I had left two businesses and needed a challenge. I decided to stretch myself and talents and try to hone a talent I had long admired. What better place to pursue a "certificate" in watercolor, but England...the birthplace of some of the greatest watercolor artist.

My first instructor was a beautiful and talented lady that went from instructor to friend.....she was amazing and I loved her. I left shortly after I finished the program , but she was instrumental in making sure that all my work was presented to the board and that I received my certificate. Her style was flowing and soft, but she gathered punch by accentuating with dark.  We work set on wet and I will always remember her saying....."I feel a need for more water".  I carry with me many of her words and style in my work.

Today I took a class here in Mazatlan from an entirely different style of artist. Her technique is more dry and had to work hard not to spread my color with just a touch more water.

Many teachers have come my way and I know that I have forgotten much of what they have shared, but I always walk away with a new bit of knowledge and a new technique to reach the end product....a piece of work that is my own.

I thank them all for sharing their knowledge, their work, their talent and mostly their time.

Today's work is another Mazatlan scene...the Pacifico building.