Mexican Border to Mazatlan

Mexican Border to Mazatlan

Crossing from the USA into Mexico is quite a contrast. One side, opulent, relatively clean, ordered, and organised. The other, chaos! Straight away you are greeted with the hawkers and the beggars, but these are of a different caste, a caste of their own. After all this is a 2nd world country. We had been in the first for long enough to get used to its ways and customs. They were after all familiar to us. Nothing too different from our home country. But here, it is a culture shock. Upon exiting the border controls you notice immediately the dirt and grime. The ramshackle buildings, the skeletal ponies and plenty of stray dogs. It’s how it is here. And I am used to changes like this. I am also used to acclimatising myself to the new paradigms. So onward we went. With a little trepidation but keenness to experience this beautiful country once again.

We travelled a long way down on the first day to Hermosillo. Basically it is all just desert. Miles of it, with a scattering of shanty villages, plenty of toll stations and topes (sleeping policemen for the anglophiles). This is an area of high crime. It has long had a cartel problem. But we were reassured all along the way with armed escorts of weary and sweltering troops sat in the backs of heavily armed pickup trucks. I made a point of waving at them as we passed just to show solidarity and gratitude for their efforts. We felt safer. And that was nice.

We dined in a posh place not too far from the Motel which was a real treat. And it was still very cheap compared to the US prices we had got (gotten) used to. 

Next day and on to Navajoa. A beautiful little motel with an extremely nice pool. We had great fun watching a photo shoot for a wedding whilst drinking a delicious Marguerita. There is a possibility that wedding dresses are single use for a reason. Maybe it’s because there is really something wrong with them in the first place. Neither of us understood why looking like a badly prepared blancmange would be the choice of attire for your finest day. We would both rather wear jeans and a T shirt, which is what actually Daniela did! 

Then onto Navolato, we didn’t touch the main town but found a place to stay just outside. It was pleasant but not up to the standard we had now begun to get accustomed to. I mean, after all, if you are going to spend £26 on a room you expect certain standards don’t you? 

That evening after finding that most eateries closed at 7pm I happened upon a sushi place which had good reviews and wasn’t too far. It turned out to be down and around some dirt roads on a dead end street. I love that kind of experience. It didn’t phase us to see a random rooster strutting around the chefs’ feet. Or a dog that looked like Shaun the Sheep, or that all the food was kept in coolboxes, or even that there didn’t seem to be a sink. We loved it. There were plastic tables and chairs after all. I think the owner and his family of cheflets found us amusing and quite a rarity. But the food was delicious. Not quite sushi, but a fine attempt nonetheless. This is Mexico after all, not Japan.

And today we drove on to Mazatlan. A larger and more vibrant, touristy place(in a Mexican way) by the Pacific Ocean. We have just returned from a dip in the warm salty water, entertained (if that’s what you call it?), by not particularly good, and extremely loud mariachi bands, and I emphasise the plural as we had two or three of them playing completely different tunes creating what you could only call a cacophony of toneless tripe. But we survived and are now relaxing in a very cute (and cheap!) apartment resting before going to experience the nightlife. (edit: we ended up just cooking dinner and staying in as we could hear the mariachi from the hotel room.)

Mexico is a revelation. I am loving the nonconformity, the relaxed, don’t give a toss attitude, the randomness of it all. And look forward to hanging out in Guadalajara for a couple of days from tomorrow. I have been there before and loved it. I am just excited to see it with D.