Day 1,529 of Traveling the World | Mazatlan, Mexico | April 10, 2022

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!

In a local park, this sculpture was part of an exhibit urging people to “use their mind.” A small concrete bust of Albert Einstein behind it apparently expresses the same sentiment.
A mini super store to torment you? Nah, the name means “the storm” in Spanish.
Nothing wrong with Sunny Buns!
We liked the sharp contrasting colors on this tiny store.
Fluorescent ice cream! Who knew?? (Actually, the top was shedding, like a bad toupee!)
It was warm (actually, hot) and sunny. Everyone was enjoying some time outside.
A very pretty courtyard with items for sale.
What a face, huh?
A bright, pretty, flowered purple store.
The Catedral Basilica de la Inmaculada Concepcion. You can see the cathedral from the port and from anywhere in the city, really. It dominates the skyline.
The Cathedral’s interior is quite stunning, with the vaults and arches tiled and newly refreshed. It has a very modern feeling.
Some fancy clothing for the Baby Jesus! You can see that he is in a locked cabinet inside the basilica.
…and two angels in a locked cabinet containing a statue of Mary.