Though it is not
my taste, and I have never been to a bullfight, there are
many who have and have found the experience a thrilling one.
During the winter, bullfights take place every Sunday, and
you can often hear the cars with loudspeakers mounted on
their roofs announcing the upcoming contest. Being out of my
element, at this point I will quote from a book by Tom
Rearney, titled
Mazatlán:
"Many visitors are stunned by their first bullfight, viewed as an unfair contest where the bull always dies. To most Mexicans however, a different viewpoint exists. They know the bulls to be bred to fight as carefully as a thoroughbred horse is bred to run. The charge of one of these muscular, combative animals into the ring is a formidable sight indeed! Mexicans also appreciate the background of the men who challenge the bulls.
There is an old Spanish saying, attributed to Espartero, that goes: "Hunger can hurt worse than any bull." That idea reflects the fact that bullfighters, like prizefighters, are born in the ghetto and escape that destitution by successfully facing death in the bullring. And, the odds these men face are not promising. During the course of a career, one out of every 10 matadors is killed, and one of four crippled. And, of course, most are gored, some a great many times."
The bullfighting schedule is basically the same every year. Bullfights begin on December 25, and continue every Sunday until April. In addition, there are always fights on January 1, the Tuesday of Carnival (Fat Tuesday,) and the Thursday of Holy week. Bullfights start promptly at 4:00pm. A warning:When you buy the tickets, they generally try to sell the tourists seats on the "shady side" of the stadium. The truth is there is really no shady side; what it means is that the sun will be to your back, rather than in your face. If you go expecting shade, you may find yourself unprepared. New Warning:(April 2001) Apparently, the owners of the bullring have adopted a two-tier pricing policy. It works like this: If you are Mexican, the price is between 30 and 50 pesos. If you are American/Canadian, the price (for exactly the same seat) is 250 pesos. Sweet, isn't it. My suggestion, find another activity until this discriminatory practice changes. But if you must witness the slaughter of innocent animals, be prepared to pay for it.
Attention Bullring OwnersPlease let me know if you decide to change this policy, and I will be happy to remove the above warning from this www site.
The locals love their baseball, and turn
out in mass to cheer on their teams. Many American players
come down to Mexico in the winter to keep up their skills
and
play ball.There is a large and well lit stadium, and here
the games come with cheerleaders, as well as tacos and beer. If you
like the game, I'm sure you will enjoy watching the Mexican
version. Ticket prices range from 15 pesos on the sidelines, to 45
pesos for the center section. The season begins in October and ends
in December. The Mazatlán home team, the Venados, now have
their own internet presencewhich is
currently solely in Spanish. You may purchase tickets to the
baseball games at the stadium beginning on the morning of each game
or you can pick them up at the Venados Memorabilia store on
Guittierez Najera.
Acapulco isn't the only place famous for it's cliff divers.
Here in Mazatlán, these brave fellows jump twice a day from
the rocky cliffs into the waters of the Olas Altas, or high
waves. Timing is everything, as the water is only six feet
deep at times. Co-incidentally, the timing is also in
perfect syncronicity with the arrival of the city tour
tourist bus. Gratuities are gratefully accepted.
The third
highest lighthouse in the world (after that of Gibraltar and
Funfria, Spain) is located here in Mazatlán. It sits high on
a hill, more than 150 meters above sea level. At night, it's
light can be seen for almost 50 kilometers. You can hike to
the top in about 25 minutes, but your calves will never be
the same. Be sure to attempt the hike only during the
daytime as, as there is some pretty rugged terrain between
you and the lighthouse, and, of course, it is not lit at
night. After all the lighthouse is for boats not people.
Chances are the thoughtful lighthousekeepers will be willing
to sell you some cold drinks once you've made it to the top.
Want to know if the views are worth it. You can
check it outbefore you climb.
Mazatlán
has one of the largest and best maintained aquariums in
Latin America. We take almost all of our guests there, and
none have ever been disappointed. In addition to a large
collection of fish, they have a sea lion show and a bird
show which is very well done. If you bring the kids be sure
to bring your camera and get a shot of you little one being
kissed by a sea lion. A nice way to spend a pleasant
afternoon. Open daily from 9:30-6:30. The shows run as
follows: Scuba Diving at 10:30am 12:30pm and 5:30pm. Seal
show at 11:00am 1:00pm and 3:30pm. Bird show at 11:30 am
1:30pm and 4:00pm . Cost is adults N$25 and children N$10
pesos.
Right next door to the acquarium is the City Park, called the Bosque de la Cuidad. Right now (winter 2003) they have an animated dinosaur exhibit, for only about $2.50 USD per person. The dinos are very well done, complete with motion and roaring sounds. Of course I dragged Nadine there, and took some photos for all of you to enjoy! If you ever meet Nadine, be sure to ask her about dinosaurs, she knows all about them, especially their effect on somnambulation.
I can hear you
now. "I didn't come all the way down to Mexico to go to some
(expletive deleted) movie!" Well, consider this, the
theaters in the golden zone just got remodelled, by the son
of my architect friend,
Chago.The seats are
comfortable, the movies are in English (with Spanish subtitles),
and the popcorn and cokes are only one dollar each. The admission
is about three dollars, and if you go on Wednesday you get a two
for one admission. Also, if you go to the 4PM mantinee, the price
is closer to two dollars. The theaters Gaviotas and are in the
golden zone, just before the Sheik restaurant. There are three
theaters in the Gran Plaza, home of Mega and the Fabricas de
Francia department store, and there are three more theaters at
Plaza las Americas, with is downtown, right next door to
RED2000, the local internet
provider. With these prices you might feel like you are back in the
fifties. ENJOY. Finally, in 2001, a brand new ten theater complex
opened up near the new Soriana department store and another seven
theatre megaplex right next door to Office Depot near Soriana. The
theaters are first class, and even have those scrolling LED signs
above each theater to tell you what is playing inside. The only
thing I don't understand is why, with all these different theatre
complexes around, do they all show exactly the same movies?
On your way to
downtown, stop by the Museo de ArqueologÃia ath Sixto Osuno
#76. The museum is small, consisting of only five rooms. They have
an assortment of paintings, sculpture, photographs, and
archeological pieces. There are some clay figures dating from
before the arrival of the Spaniards. The hours are Tues to Sunday
from 10am till 1pm and 4 to 7 pm. The cost is around N$10 pesos,
and guided tours are available.
Looking for the best views of the
city?Go to the top of the new Best Western Hotel in downtown,
and have a drink on their rooftop bar. For many years this was a
derilict building, known as the Hotel Freeman, but in the last few
years (2002) it has been bought and restored to some of its former
glory. You can ride an elevator all the way to the top, and walk
around the rooftop pool for the best views of the city. Afterwards,
(or before) enjoy a nice cold one from the rooftop bar. A great way
to hang out and soak up some rays. The Best Western is located in
Olas Altas, near the Shrimp Bucket and the La Siesta Hotel.
Going
downtown to old Mazatlán is certainly worth a trip. You can
grab a taxi to take you down there, or catch the Sablo
Centro bus for about 20¢US. It is a long drive along
the beach, and very scenic. While downtown, there are
several sights to catch. The photo is of the cathedral
downtown, which is in the heart of the city. The cathedral
was started in 1855 and was completed in 1899. It was
actually Mazatlán's second church, the first one being the
San Jose, finished in 1842. It was designed and built by
Estanislao Leon, who did not live to see it's construction
finished. The towers were started in 1893, and the first was
completed on April 6, 1894. The architectural style is
somewhere between Moorish and Gothic, and the towers and the
small dome are covered with European tiles.
The
cathedral features an organ built by the Frenchman Aristide
Cavaillé-Coll, the most famous builder of organs in the
19th century. Mazatlán holds the distinction as being the
first city in Mexico to have one of his organs. The organ
made its first sounds on May 17, 1889, but is currently
silent and in the process of being rebuilt.
Just across the street is a store called Fabrica de Francia,
which is the nicest department store in Mazatlán. Also nearby is
the Plaza Machado and the newly restored Angela Peralta theater,
where many cultural events are held. The theatre has as an
interesting history. It was build in 1874 and began its life as the
Rubio theatre, named after the man who built it. In 1883, and
Italian opera company tried to perform an opera there, but the diva
couldn't sing because of a slight case of yellow fever she
contracted while sailing over from Italy. She died a few days later
in the house next door. There is a plaque commemorating this event
on the outside right wall of the theatre. Things went downhill
after that. The once proud opera house became a movie theatre, a
vaudville stage, and eventually a boxing ring. Continuing its
decline, it eventually became a parking garage for pulmonias. The
last blow came in 1975, when a hurricane struck Mazatlán, and
gutted the interior of the building. It wasn't until 1987 that a
restoration project began. In 1992 the theatre was re-opened, and
now it is better than ever.
Today
you will find it the site of cultural events, concerts,
operas and symphonies. Every November travelling troubadors
come to Mazatlán to perform there. Nadine and I saw a great
performance
Carmenthere, and we recommend you check out what
is playing during your stay.
The schedule for the 2001 Fall Festival is now available. Ticket prices range from 30 to 80 pesos, and all performances start at 8:00pm except the Sunday matinees which start at 6pm. The box office is to the right of the theater entrance, at Calle Carnaval near Constitution in old Mazatlán. Tickets can also be purchased at the El Cid Clubhouse. For more details please phone 982-4447.
There are also three shoe stores in the area, called Tres Hermanos, or Three Brothers. If you are in the market for a nice pair of leather shoes, you can't beat the price or selection. Just down the street from the cathedral is the Farmacia Moderna, one of the biggest and best pharmacies in Mazatlán. Many of the drugs that are prescription only in the US are available over the counter here, and probably at one-tenth the price. There is also a large park in the center of the city, with trees and benches, and plenty of shoe shine vendors. If you want to get a bit of the flavor of old Mexico, the a stroll through the streets of El Centro is the place to be. Which brings us to the last but certainly not the least of the attractions to be found downtown, the Mercado.
The
Mercado is a combination of tourist T-shirt shops and
groceries for the locals. If we have house guests who are
overstaying their welcome, we bring them down here and show
them the meat market, such as you can see at the right. Then
we tell them that this is where we buy all of the food they
have been eating all week. They usually make their return
arrangements that same day. It works almost every time.
Nevertheless, it is an interesting experience, and you have
probably never seen anything like it. It is much better
these days, since most of the stalls are refrigerated.
Before the odor was one of the main attractions. In the
tourist shops you can find probably any souvenir you could
possibly want. Be prepared to bargain hard however, just
because you're downtown that precious Señor Frog
T-shirt isn't any cheaper.
There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face.
Ben Williams
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