La Tertulia -- that's bull fighting to you and me

One of my favorite margaritas in Mazatlan can be found at La Tertulias. They're made with lime juice and tequilla--that's it. :)

Tertulias is a bar that's owned by bull fighters. If you get the chance to visit, be sure to go into the backroom to admire the posters, costumes and regalia of the bull fighter. It's part museum and part shrine to the sport.

The photos here are of Paris & I with our Aussie mate, Trevor, in the back room at Tertulias. (as you can tell by my eyes, I really like their margaritias! ;) )

Night on the Machado

Considered the heart of the Centro Historico district, the Machado is the square that bustles with excitement day and night. In one week, I witnessed a Guadalahara festival, with Falminco Dancers, a politician speaking to numerous TV crews, and the usual Friday night of musician entertaining diners at the many restaurants.

Pictured is a typical scene on the Machado, and our friend Wally (in black) playing to a crowd.

The Best Places to Eat in Mazatlan

There are a bunch of great places to get food in the Centro Historico district of Mazatlan. From traditional Mexican of Pedro y Lola, to the giant Papas (baked potatoes that are loaded with everything, and I do mean everything!) at Beach Burger, there's a type of food for every palette.

On the Machado, I really like Pedro y Lola (pictured). The dishes are unique, yet not so far removed from American Mexican that you don't know what you're getting. If you have the chance to visit, take your waiter's recommendations, they won't steer you wrong here.

Just off the Machado, on Constitution and Benito Juarez, is Te Amo Lucy (pictured). This little restaurant is part of a B&B run by Tony and his wife, Lucy. It's open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I've not had a bad meal at Lucy's and the salsas and green chile sauces are excellent! A very unique dish is a Mexican take on chicken fried steak, you have to try it to believe it!

Also off the Machado, across from Angela Peralta Theater is El Tunnel. There's a lengthy explanation about how they got their name on the menu, but I believe that it's because of the long tunnel you must go through to enter the restaurant. It's a lot like the Blue House (see post below) as it's traditional Mazatlan Mexican, but with more regular hours.

If you're looking for a great tamale, head off the beaten path to Maz Tamale. This is a little store front on Benito Juarez, between Mariano Escobedo and Constitution. This place is so small, you could miss it. But if you find it walk up to the window and order up a tamale you'll never forget. They have a unique combination of spices, raisin, and your choice of beef, chicken or vegetables. They even make a pineapple tamale! I'm not sure if they're open at night or just during the day.

The Best Places to Eat in Mazatlan: La Mona

Another great place to grab a bite is at La Mona. It's a little pizzeria--I know, I know, you can get tons of pizza in the States, why would you go to Mazatlan for pizza?!?! Well, actually in the case of La Mona it's more for the atmosphere -- with a huge wall of tequilla above the bar, a mural of a nude (as of this posting in progress) across another wall, and a hip, scene every night, La Mona has atmosphere in spades! Plus the pizza is made with all natural ingredients and they have many interesting salads.

If you're from Denver, you have to introduce yourself to Luis, the manager of La Mona and quite possibly the single biggest Bronco fan I've ever met! Luis told us the most interesting fact we heard in Mazatlan: The big screen and score board at the Mazatlan Stadium -- home of the Vernandos (the baseball team that gave us Barry Bonds and Vinne Castillio) -- came from the old Mile High Stadium!

Another cool aspect of La Mona is the Cinema el la Calle (Cinema in the Streets) program. They shut down a block of the street, set up a huge screen, and serve beer and wine to patrons while they show a film. While we were there we saw Infernal Affairs (The Japanese film the The Departed was based on). I'm not sure if this program runs throughout the year or only once in a while. But, if you're lucky enough to be there while it's going on, check it out! Well worth it!

La Mona is located in the Centro Historico district on Nenos Heroes, between Mariano Escobedo and Constitution.

Best places to eat in Mazatlan: The Blue House

The Blue House is my absolute favorite place to eat in Mazatlan. The Blue House can be sort of difficult to find as you can see, there's no sign outside to let you know that you're in the right place. The Blue House is quite literally a family's house. It's not open every night and there are no set hours, it's all up to the family that runs the restaurant. The menu is written on a chalkboard on the wall--if you go I highly recommend the Pollo de Plaza.

You can see more of the Blue House in action in the movie from a previous post.

If you're in Mazatlan, the Blue House is located in Centro Historico on the corner of Libertad and H. Frias.

Furniture for the Casita!

These are pictures of the furniture we brought down from the states inside the little casa!
The first three are of the Living Room and Kitchen area. The last two are different angles of the bedroom.

The No Tell Motel

We tried as hard as we could to make it all the way to Mazatlan on our second day. But, slow road conditions, numerous cuota stops (the toll booths) along highway 15D made it just out of reach. We made it to Culiacan by 8:30 at night, and Mazatlan is about another 2 hours away. Given that we'd have to unload the truck when we got there, we decided to stop over at what many travelers call the No Tell Motel.

All along the way to Mazatlan, we'd see these compound-like structures—some had fanciful names and themes like a castle called the Ferarri Inn, others were more understated and you almost couldn't tell what it was from the outside. If you've ever spoken with an American who has traveled by car to Mexico, these are what many call the No Tell Motel.

The thing that's really different about these little motels is that you drive in through the gates and they usually consist of small attached car ports or garages that are next to your room. (If our truck wasn't so large, we could have shut the garage door.) They are really secure, so you don't have to worry about your car or belongings. And some of them offer food, too. (The one we chose had a full menu with beers!) But the best part about these little travel oasisis is the cost—we stayed for $25.00 per night!

If you're ever driving through Culiacan, stay at Dix.

Driving to Mexico

There’s something you get from traveling by car that you can’t get from other modes of transport. (And not just a stiff back!)

As soon as we crossed the border in Nogales, AZ, it was obvious that we were no longer in the USA. That sort of shocked me because I thought it would have been a more gradual change. Immediately you notice the shanty town that butts right up to the chain-link fence demarcation of the US. My first thought was, “How bittersweet it must be to live in poverty in the shadow of the United States.” I was so awestruck, I was ashamed to take any photos as it felt too much like exploitation. (The photo here is of a house outside of Santa Ana, I loved the way the sun was setting in the background.)

But as we drove on a few miles, I saw children running through the streets, women hanging up laundry and one house had a trampoline that was host to about six kids while their parents looked on. Yes, it’s a different way of living, and the poverty is greater than I could have imagined, but just looking at these scenes, I could see that my way of life was no better—and maybe no different than theirs.

Heading fo the Border

packed up.jpg
Originally uploaded by Haska.

I snapped this photo early in the morning outside of Nogales. Paris has gotten the rig packed up and we're off!