Located just across the Gulf of California from Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan was a surprise for a coastal Mexican town. It was likeliest the cleanest city we have ever seen. We couldn’t see any trash anywhere, and we saw at least three people with a bucket of water and broom cleaning their sidewalks. Most of the houses and shops were modest, but freshly painted and well kept up. It was quite amazing, as we walked a few miles through the city, to notice over and over again that nothing was degraded – and there was no trash to be seen.
One thing we like about the city is that Uber is cheap and legal. It can’t take you to and from the airport (neither can a regular taxi), but it should be fine everywhere else. Mike wishes Uber was available the last time he visited Mazatlan (44 years ago). At least some things in the world are getting better.
After walking through residential neighborhoods for quite some time, we came to several parks, a retail area, and the Mazatlan Cathedral, located on the Plaza de la Republica. It is beautiful inside, with tiling on the ceiling vaults and new paint. It was apparent that the church was old (it opened its doors in 1899), but it felt fresh and sort of modern.
The first photo is of an interesting sculpture we saw in the first park we came to. All over the world, regardless of wealth or prominence, cities invest in artwork to elevate your mind and encourage you to think differently, in new ways. We enjoyed Mazatlan!
