The Golden Years: First Friday Art Walk in Mazatlan

Another beautiful morning in Mazatlan. Going to be a warm day. It's only 9:00 and I'm already thinking about turning on the AC - But anything above 75 and I'm hot. No real plans for today except to go to Plazuela Machado tonight to listen to Rafael Rodriguez play and sing and probably have dinner. I wonder if the line dancers from the past two years will be there. Maybe it's too early in the year for them.

Got involved in reading a new series of books yesterday by Donna Bell - about a dog trainer and her exploits. Don't know how accurate the dog training facts are but it is fun and quick reading. The Nook is being really weird using the TelCel stick. Sometimes it will download a new purchased book right to the Nook and sometimes I have to drag the book into the Nook. And sometimes it takes two or three tries to get the book. Strange.

Basically we just had down time yesterday. Hung around the campground talking with neighbors. Bill got his remote control cars out and played with them. I thought about getting my knitting out but didn’t. How lazy is that? He fixed Italian sausage and green peppers on the bbq grill. At least we are using the grill this year.

Friday night we went into the Centro Historico to do the monthly Art Walk. Got kind of a late start at 6:00 – the galleries and shops open at 4:00. It was a beautiful evening to be out and about. Still warm and not to humid. Walking along the narrow streets. Puddles are still from the days before when it rained.

The first place we stopped had this neat Day of the Dead figure. She has on a knitted shawl and a fancy dress and hat. About US$45. Maybe if she is still there next month…….

The next place had this new mural on the wall. She has a worm in her mouth and is feeding babies. The live plants in front of it add to the color of the mural.

Love this lazysusan but didn’t see a price. Hand painted and covered with a resin.

At this same gallery a Huicholi man sells his pictures. Made of thread pressed into bees wax. But I love his outfit. He tells us it takes his wife over a year to make the outfit. It is all hand embroidered.

Back out walking down the street noticed a new small mural – need to come by in the day time to really check it out. I'm like a kid in a candy shop when we walk around here - excited to find new things in strange places.

Another building further down the street has quotes painted between all the windows and doors. Here is one of them – they all relate to art.

Can't wait until the next time we're over in this area during the day time. So many new things and buildings that have been dolled up. Stopped at another gallery where there is usually a great display of photographs on canvas but either they’ve changed artists or the artist has changed his/her style. Still petty stuff but not what I was expecting. I was so surprised and disappointed I forgot to take pictures – next month. Continued on to the beach and walked past the Hotel Belmar. This time we walked in to it a little bit. Leading into the hotel just past the reception desk. Love the black and white tile arch.

Click this link for information about the Belmar - John Wayne stayed there at lot.

There were three murals on the walls but the lighting was not good and the flash was reflecting off of them. But here is one of them. I love just walking around this city and finding unexpected things of beauty.

A little atrium in the hotel with a fountain and lots of tile work.

More tile and another arch.

This is just some of the tile work – several different patterns of tile in one place.

From there we walked through another “Art Gallery” [it is a little pretentious – with really weird art] where they wouldn’t let me take pictures. They were displaying some of the old wooden shoe forms all painted up. Really neat. Need to go back there again and try for some shots.

Across the street into a kind of antique shop – it is new – never been in it before. Very interesting. The cement floor was painted in all different designs. Kind of like quilt pieces on the floor. Gave me some ideas for Barn Quilts

By then we were hungry so we headed to the Plazuela Machado and dinner at Beach Burger again – that way we are right next to the gazebo where a small musical group was setting up. They were really good. Lots of old time rock and Beatles music.