Things we'll miss and things we won't

As we pack up to leave Mazatlan after our four-month stay there are many things that we will miss. In no particular order they are:

• The birds--we hear them in the morning singing and cooing, and we see them flying around and at the beach.  There's one with a canary yellow breast and a black stripe on the face that's     just gorgeous.

• The incredible variety of flowers in bloom--all colours and shapes and sizes, and recently some new ones that are so fragrant.

• Tropical fruits (pineapple, mango, papaya and more) at prices you wouldn't belive.
• Cheap eats and drinks.  Even the expensive restaurants are a bargain and we've found some where you can get a shrimp dinner for less than $5.  Marvelous.
• The beach--for walking, playing with the dogs, wading in the surf, swimming in the warm blue water
• Old town, with its 200 year old stone buildings, balconies, courtyards and plazas.  If we come here again we'll make sure to find a place to stay down there.
• Serene mornings and drop-dead sunsets almost every night.

And just for balance here are a few things we won't be missing:

• Garbage in the streets and on the beach
• Crazy traffic, macho drivers and topes
• Loud party music any time after 2:00 a.m.
• Street dogs, roof dogs, and dogs tied up in courtyards

• The need to lock everything all the time
• People trying to sell you things all the time (on the sidewalk, in the car, even coming to your front door).
• The fear of being caught in the crossfire of the crazy drug war that seems to have arrived in mazatlan.

 So there you are.  Seven of each.  This is such a beautiful place.  I hate to see its loveliness compromised by garbage, traffic, violence and crime.  But maybe that's the price of living in such a special place.  It's been an incredible four months.  We've learned a lot, we've met fabulous people and had fun both with our visitors and without. We'll miss Mazatlan but it will be nice to be home as well.

Tomorrow at first light we hit the highway north and hope to avoid the Semana Santa (Mexican Easter week) traffic jams and any kind of banditos.  We'll keep you posted.