Today is what? Monday? I keep losing track of time, especially without a TV to watch! But, I guess this is good. The longer I go without DirecTv service, the less important it is to try to get it. I have not stopped trying yet, but all hope of getting it is just about gone. I need a 3 or 4 foot dish for any hope of service, my 18" home dish just does not get the job done. The word was I would have no trouble renting a big dish down here, but so far I can't find one to rent. To buy, yes! But I just need one for the time I'm here.

A little cooler here today and it is welcome. I heard Arizona is getting a cold spell so I'm happy we are not there for the winter this year. It was great while we were there in early January, but Arizona weather is unreliable in the winter. Two years ago when we arrived in Tucson there was snow on the houses. Today when I looked at Tucson weather, snow was in the forecast.

I was online talking to a guy today and he traveled from Canada to spend the winter in Arizona, but he said "enough of this shit"- I'm spending next winter in Mexico. Can't blame him! He was drilling me with questions about Mazatlan RV parks.

Looks like things are warming up a bit back home. I thought it was doing so a few posts back, but brother Tim told me not yet. Now he says it's going to get close to 60 tomorrow. Well, still too soon to head back north! But I am thinking of home.

Nothing to report for today except the price of having laundry done here by a local service. There are no laundry facilities for do-it-yourself here on the island. Not even here at the RV park. So, we dropped off a week's worth of laundry Saturday at a "local" laundry service. Went around 5:00 pm to pick it up even though told to come after 6:00. But it does get dark early and it's hard enough to find your way in daylight let alone dusk or dark so we went early. It was ready and the price - washed, dried, folded, and plastic wrapped - about $10.00 US. His chemicals, his hot water, his labor! And he brought it out to the street and put it in the car. $10.00! But it was, thinking back, just two swim suits, two t-shirts, two pair of under pants and one bra! Still a good deal. Life is good down here.

A few pictures from yesterday's trip into town to find Ellen's hotel room during Carnaval and dog bones for the pups.

View of the Golden Zone in the far distance from the start of the Malecon near Ellen's hotel. The hotel is at the start (or the end) of the Carnaval parade depending on which direction it travels. The Malecon is simply the name for the walkway along the ocean and the route the Carnaval parade travels each night.

The Malecon is dotted with monuments. In honesty, we did not have time to photograph them all or do proper research into their correct names or significance. We will do so soon. But for our short trip yesterday, we did photograph a few

We know for sure this is a monument to the Pulmonia drivers. Pulmonia's are unique to Mazatlan. I will research the history and post it in a later post. As you can see in this monument, pulmonia's are golf cart like open air taxis. They are great! They are everywhere. They will take you anywhere. They are cheap!

Chincia, here is Ellen's tatoo

View of the Malecon, the decorated, wide sidewalk that borders the ocean around Mazatlan with all the various monuments along the way. Normally the ocean is in view from the Malecon, but this picture was another view of one of the monuments which blocked the ocean view.
Picture of Ellen and Patty's hotel (the tan colored building) from the Malecon.

A closer view for Patty to see

The hotel entrance. It's quite a bit more elegant than the street view would indicate.