Deep freeze

Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico


Mexico is the land of sun and beaches.  Except when we are there of course.
 

The last few days have been very cold.  We hit a low of around 4 degrees last night, hopefully the worst we will see this winter.  The daytime highs have been struggling to reach 20 degrees and with a brisk north wind, the windchill has made it "jacket" weather for us.  For the locals, it is a time for heavy coats and parkas.  The cruisers that have been here for many years tell us that this is the coldest they have ever seen it in at least 14 years.  Just our luck to be here for this.  One consolation is that it is reportedly even colder and windier in La Paz and the Sea of Cortez, so maybe we made the right decision in coming across to the mainland instead.

 

Yesterday, we took a bus into the old, historic part of town, in hopes that it would be warmer away from the water and in the shelter of all the buildings, etc.  It may have worked to some extent but it was still too chilly to enjoy sitting outside at the inviting looking cafes.  We toured the Archealogical Museum and the main Cathedral, had a quick lunch, browsed the Centro Mercado market (probably the most interesting thing we saw), then caught the bus back to the marina.  A lot of the streets looked abandoned - we are not sure if this is normal or a result of the cold.

 

The buses here are a really good deal.  For 9 pesos (about 75 cents), you can ride in air-conditioned comfort (should it be necessary) to just about anywhere in town.  For 6 pesos you can do the same thing without the frills,  In the coming days we will be making more use of the buses as the weather improves.  We thought it would be nice to stroll along the Malecon, an 11 mile long, paved boulevard along the beaches - best done on a nice warm day as the winds blow in from the ocean.  Maybe tomorrow.  Of course, a lot of the cruisers here at the marina are gearing up to watch the Superbowl tomorrow - the local restaurants may actually make a few pesos if they have big-screen TVs.  The weatherman is predicting temperatures in the mid to high 20s within a couple of days - more normal for this time of year, so there is hope.
 
Today we spent quite a while rinsing off the boat.  The accumulation of salt residue from the last passage combined with the somewhat dusty environment here have combined to make for a muddy mess on deck.  It looks much better now but probably won't last.

{GMST}23|12.2|N|106|25.3833|W|Historic Mazatlan|Historic Mazatlan{GEND}