Got up before the sun and set out to take photos of the hotel and small town of El Fuerte. Again, it was an easy walk but not short on beauty. The church is always the center of town with adjacent plaza for people to gather. The colorful houses dotted all the small alleyways. I spent about an hour wandering around before heading out. The drive took me from the semi-arid mountains to the lush fields full of every crop imaginable. I always like the rural areas because they are a hub of activity and purpose. They are the forgotten that feed the masses in the cities. The true backbone of any country. The drive took most of the day as I creeped closer to Mazatlán. I had these visions of a tropical, beachside town where Capt Stuben, Goffer, and Julie were cruising the streets and soaking up the romance. That was shattered, as I arrived. It was a no charismatic town, but rather dusty and lacking character or identity. It seems like a forgotten town of a bygone era. I sucked it up and went looking for the charm. Believe me, it is not easily found. The main square seems to be the hub of activities with a few beach areas playing second fiddle. I suspect that the high end beach resort area, outside of town, is as plastic as a Barbie doll and just as shallow. I sent most of my time doing an arts walk. The creativity was lacking, but a few galleries had potential. In the end, I did find what I was looking for at a sidewalk café. Just observing people interact and going about daily life, you realize that they all want to live in peace. They want to do the little things that make them human. Whether it is buying a balloon for the kid or stopping to listen to a street performer or just walking hand in hand. It sounds corny, but I observed people just wanting a better life filled with love, joy, and contentment. In this regard, I found more humans in this town than any large city, where everyone needs and wants more. The simple things are sometimes overlooked. It is just being with the ones you love and being happy for what you have at that moment. I saw this in the smiles on their faces and smiles on their faces. some jobs missing in America were still thriving here with the guy on the bike peddling flat breads or the shoe shiner or the street sweepers. Everyone seems to look for that little niche in life to exist. We seem to have forgotten this in America, as we are seldom satisfied. Tomorrow is a mountain adventure to Guadalajara.
From Arizona to Panama Canal 