Henry Laxen - 24 Mar 2003
[Books]
Lin Robinson - Dec 12 2003
Casa De Campesino---coolest store in Mazatlan
Some call it *The Whole Rancho Catalog/, some call it *One Stop Shopping for Homesteading Cowboys/, we call it the coolest store in Mazatlan. Looking for a terra cotta toilet? A grain mill or stone mocaljete for grinding corn? Sickles or mule saddles? How about slingshots, whips or a cane bed? A truck rim barbecue or giant birdcage? Kerosene lanterns or machete with bloodthirsty motto on the blade? Power tools or copper tubs? Tortilla press or hammock? Hog wire, chicken wire, turkey wire, people wire, telephone wire? They aren't the cheapest place in town, but the thing is: they HAVE it. Robinson Crusoe should shop here. It's worth going in just to *tour/, but it's a good bet you'll find something you can't do without. Located on Zaragoza in the second block East of Aquiles Serdan, between Azueta and Dr. Carvajal. Bring your Pioneer Card.
Lin Robinson - Dec 12 2003
The Shrimp Ladies--Contraband Shrimp from buckets on the sidewalks!
This famous sidewalk market offers shrimp (or clams or crabs or fish or squid or Mystery Sealife) from buckets on both sides of the street. The shrimp ladies rig up umbrellas and tables, hawk their wares quite aggressively and remove all trace of the briny at the end of the day. Fairly good prices, and you can try some new tastes like manta ray machaca, dried shrimp (try it in salad dressing), or pata de mula (hint: it's not really a mule's hoof). These icechest venders are *changueras/, controversial because the sell fish and shrimp that has sort of *fallen of a boat/. Every year they get threatened with being shut down, but they perservere. The changuerismo market is at Aquiles Serdan and Zuniga, just blocks from the open air market on North Beach, so you can comparison shop.
Lin Robinson - Dec 11 2003
The Flower Market--Blooms by the Carload
The old bus station has been converted into something much more lovely - a market that sells nothing but flowers. Several dozen stalls surround the building at the corner of Aquiles Serdan and 16 de Septiembre, offering passers-by a blaze of color and an aroma that fills the entire neighborhood (well, up to the shrimp market, at least). Before the Day of the Dead or Mother's Day the market overflows with thousands of arrangements and the bouquet is overpowering. The stands stay open all night (probably for errant husbands in need of emergency offerings) so just wake up the vendor and pick out a spray of gladioli or calla lilies. The seller's secret to keeping cut flowers fresh? Put them in Sprite instead of water.
Lin Robinson - Dec 11 2003
Mictlan -- The Only Sporting Goods Store Worth Messing With
Sam's and Walmart, etc. may have some sporting goods, but there is only one real sporting goods store worthy of the name in Mazatlan--Mictlan. They have the real stuff: top brands in clothing, surfing, skating, baseball, soccer, tennis, swimming, snorkeling, etc. You can buy an decent mask and snorkle there! They have kayaks! And surfboards! They aren't particularly cheap, but they aren't the highest in town, either. And they have pretty good sales and shoes, packs, etc. Give them a look, sport!
They are at Hamm and Rio Fuerte. Which means that from the Hotel De Cima on the Malecon, you go inland one block and it's the big, windowless place on the corner. No problemo. They also have a much smaller and generally useless branch in the Gran Plaza. (669) 982-3822 [www.mictlanbiz.com http://www.mictlanbiz.com]
Lin Robinson - Dec 12 2003
MARINE HARDWARE AND GIFTS
If you're a boater you might very well find hardware and supplies here that are not available elsewhere...but the main thing Ferreteria Polaris offers is cool gifts. Whether you friends are boaters of not, you can find something delightful here: boat models, brass anchor keychains, wall art, desk sculptures. It's a great browsing spot witha salty accent. Two blocks toward town from the Immigration Office in Playa Sur: 312 Aquiles Serdan 985-1636 English Spoken
Lin Robinson - Dec 12 2003
Musical Goodies
A great place for musical stocking-stuffers is the music store on Zaragoza between Serdan and Tnte. Azueta. They have harmonicas, ebony rhythm sticks, bongos, guitars...and songbooks for learning Mexican song lyrics. Hell with the stockings: grab a bass drum or *guitarron/.
Buying Silver In Mexico
by Jack Moreau March 11, 2005
Visitors from Canada and the United States are sure to notice that silver is pretty inexpensive in Mazatlan. But how inexpensive is too inexpensive? How do you know if you're buying real silver? Here are a few easy ways to distinguish the real thing. The best way to tell if an object is real silver is to look for the marks. The real thing always has two, sometimes three marks - or stamps- on each piece. The first mark is 925./ This means that the object is 92.5 % silver. Sterling silver is another name for .925. The remaining 7.5% is composed of another metal to strengthen the silver. Although .925 is the most common, you may also find .950, which is 95% pure silver and is obviously more expensive than .925. The second mark is *Mexico/ or *Mex./ This is the most important mark to look for. Although jewelers trying to pass off fake silver will often stamp *925/ on the piece, they cannot legally stamp *Mexico/ on anything other than real silver. A combination of these two stamps is the best way to distinguish real silver. The third mark that may also be stamped on real silver is the jeweler's seal. Although not required, the jeweler may choose to include his or her seal, which is usually a combination of letters and numbers, for example: *TC-89./ Aside from stamps in the silver, price is an important factor in determining authenticity. An eighteen-gram necklace should cost between $27and $30 USD. Therefore, if a street or beach vendor is selling heavy chains for $1 USD, chances are the chains aren't real silver. Alpaca, which is also known as *German Silver, looks pretty, but is not .925. Oftentimes, the cheap, heavy chains sold by street vendors are made from alpaca.
If the price seems too good to be true it probably is. After all, the street vendors need to make a living, too. This is not to say that all street vendors sell only imitation silver. Most street vendors do have silver jewelry, too, but not for one dollar per chain. Street vendors' prices for real silver are comparable to real silver sold in shops. The advantage to a reputable shop is that you still know where to find them the next day. So why not just settle for cheaper metals, like alpaca - because silver is the best quality and will last the longest. Unless you are allergic to it and your skin has a chemical reaction, silver will not tarnish as long as you are wearing it against your skin. For silver items you are not constantly wearing, tarnish is easy to remove. Even if it has been tarnished for ten years, silver cleaner will restore it to its original shine. However, with other wanna-be silver metals, the metal can turn black, even against your skin. And in most cases, the tarnish is permanent. To care for your silver, store it in a sealed bag, such as a ziplock bag, so as not to tarnish. A silver cleaner and soft cloth will easily remove any tarnish and small chains can be shined using dry baking soda and a toothbrush.
Web Sites for Shopping in Mazatlan
by Jack Moreau March 16,2005
Check out all the specials on line.
http://www.comercialmexicana.com
The Juarez FLEA Market
by Jack Moreau March 16, 2005
This [shopping http://www.travel-mazatlan.com/tours-in-mazatlan.html] esxperience is only on Sunday’s. The regular Market is open daily. We start our journey by taking any bus travelling south in the golden zone that has the word Juarez on it. Look for it either on the windshield or on the display at the top of the bus. Stay on the bus about 5 minutes after you pass Soriana's, at the Plaza Mazatlan on your left. When you see a store on your right with a large blue Nestles sign painted on the wall, and the Taquieria El Toro across the street on the left, you can get off at that stop or the next one. The next one is better, but you'll miss the shop where the ladies are making flour tortillas. There is a Bital bank on the left hand side of the next stop. Get off there if you missed this one, and make a note of where you are. After you are off the bus, walk a few steps on the same side of the street and in the same direction as the bus was going. You'll come across a fragrance shop, called Esencias, where a lovely young lady behind the counter will be happy to mix you up just about anything your little nose could desire. The prices are unbelievable. shampoo or deoderant are approx $20 pesos, Body gel is $60 pesos, and After Shave is $40 pesos. Perfumes and colognes start as low as 50 pesos, depending on the size of bottle. Now walk to the end of this block and make a right. Of course if you walk past any shop that strikes your fancy, the owners will be more than happy to do some business with you. Walk down about two blocks. You should be able to see the huge Mexican flag over the hill in the distance. When you get to the giant white statue of the head of Benito Juarez, you've arrived at the entrance of the Juarez Flea Market. When we first got there, the outdoor hair salons weren't doing a booming business, and the proprieters were a little on the shy side. But it didn’t take long for all the chairs to soon be occupied. Cost of a haircut 20 pesos. My favorite Sunday breakfast is a hot dog, and then for dessert I find my donut man, mmmmmm, just like mom use to make. A ½ a bbq’d chicken with fresh tortillas and sauce can bought for 35 pesos. Fruits and vegetables are priced quite a bit lower than the “grocery “stores, so bring a back pack and your shopping list! Getting home is easy. Make your way back to the Bital bank where you got off the bus. Then continue walking two more blocks in that direction. The bus you need to catch is Cocos Juarez or Cerritos Juarez, and stops just across the street in fromt of the Farmacia.. If you're not sure, ask the driver if the bus stops in the golden zone. Have a great day, and enjoy all your treasures.
