On our second full day in Matzatlan, we decided it was a good
day to go downtown. After riding the
shuttle to the downtown resort, we found a cab to take us to the old part of
Matzatlan. These cabs are really more
like big golf carts with back seats, a top, a windshield and with the sides
open to the air—natural air-conditioning which felt great on a warm, humid day. Matzatlan is more spread out than we had
realized; it was another 5 miles or so to our destination. We drove along a beautiful stretch of beach
with a walkway. The surf was great to
look at but too dangerous for swimming.
Our driver, Jorge, provided bits of tourist information as we rode; when
he dropped us off at the Cathedral we found out that he also does tours for
$20. The inside of the Cathedral is
ornate. I tried to be discreet in my
photo-taking (no flash) so as not to disturb anybody praying. I think I could have sat there for a while in
that peaceful, holy setting, so full of history. I was able to read bits of the writings on
the wall, but my Spanish is limited.
Our friend took us through a modern department store (with
AC!) to show us that it looks just like one in the U.S. From there we walked to the busy marketplace
where you could buy tourist trinkets, clothing, jewelry, food and drink, raw
meat, chicken, and fish. What a
contrast. The colors and smells awakened
my senses. I am a pin collector but had
no luck finding one. I did not know the
Spanish word for pin which might have helped.
I did find a purple Matzatlan T-shirt.
We walked through the old streets, visiting the Opera House
and museum. We enjoyed beer and chips
with guacamole at an outside table at a restaurant next to a square with a
gazebo. Finally, we caught a cab to
another part of town. Our friend took us
to a shop with a myriad of delightful items—I bought a bowl, small dish, and an
ornament. When you go shopping with two
men, you have to make choices fairly quickly, especially when the next stop is
food.
Don took us to Pancho’s, a good restaurant overlooking the
beach, one with which he was familiar.
My shrimp fajita was tasty and filling plus the breeze through the open
window was refreshing. We watched people
playing on the beach, vendors, parasailers, and sailboats. I took photos of it all, including some of
the beautiful tiles inside the restaurant.
After a while we caught a cab and then a shuttle back to the
resort. We took a dip in the pool to
cool off and watched the sun set, painting the sky with hues of orange and
pink. Another day in Matzatlan had come
to an end.
Written on 7/24/2013
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