Stage 11: Álamos to Mazatlán
May 6-7, 2013
3.5 hours, Cuota MX$890
(note: the photos were poached from the internet, for some reason I didn’t take a single photo in Mazatlan)

While it was hard to leave the delightful Álamos, I’d seen and done everything there was to do and it was time to move on. I once again headed west and got back on the cuota heading south towards Mazatlán. I stopped for gas and food at one of the Pemex rest areas. I figured I would be grabbing a Topo Chico and a bag of Mexican sal y limon Frit-Os, but I was pleasantly surprised by the huge palapa restaurant. I opted for my first cold (sometimes it is served warm) campechana, basically a seafood cocktail with cucumbers, tomatoes, chiles, avocado, cilantro, and tomato juice. I was blown away! It was so delicious I was tempted to order a second, but I was already full. After lunch I rolled on down the cuota until I reached Mazatlán. I wasn’t expecting much so I wasn’t terribly disappointed.

Considering the town has a population of just under 400,000 people, a 21-kilometer long malecón/boardwalk, a charming old town, and miles of sandy beach, one would think it was some kind of paradise. But you would think wrong. I was denied lodging by at least five hotels in the old town. “No Dogs Allowed.” I learned that this is quite rare in Mexico, most locals seemed shocked that I would actually travel with my dog. I gave up on finding a hotel just as the sun was going down. Fortunately, I found a concrete parking lot with a cyclone fence that purported to be an RV park on the malecón and my Odyssey was tricked out for sleeping. We settled in, took a stroll on the beach, probably had a cerveza and a Luna Bar for dinner, and went to sleep. I was so disgusted by the place, it felt just like Las Vegas on the beach and you know that I think Vegas – is the Crotchal Region of the USA, that I tried to leave as soon as the sky began to lighten. No Go – the gates were locked, there was no attendant, and I could not leave! That is when my coffee kit came in handy. I stayed just long enough to make a cup of coffee and let Luna do her business. As soon as the gates opened – vámonos – we were gone!

In all, I spent less than 15 hours in Mazatlán, and it was 15 hours too long.