A ride to El Tigre with Frank and Sandi.

 

Wednesday was my first ride of the season.  Eric's been out and about but not me....so time to go.  Frank and Sandi were ready for a road trip too so off we went.  We met at the gas station at 10am with just over 50 miles to go.  Destination El Tigre on the Caimanero beach area.  This is a nice country ride. 

Heading out to the toll road and the Mazatlan bypass.  There's the Jeep behind us.  We took the bypass as far as the airport and then got off onto Mex 15 towards Villa Union and our turn off to El Walamo and then El Tigre. 

Mex 15 and up ahead Villa Union. 

Into Villa Union and it's always bustling here.  Up ahead our right turn to El Walamo.   

One way street after the turn and it's always market day here. 

Some really old buildings here. 

Up ahead we turn right and head out through the farmland to beach. 

They must grow grain here somewhere as that's a large storage area. 

Lovely home....I wonder who lives here?

Crops everywhere.  Tomatoes, chili's and .....?

First up El Walamo and it was really quiet going through. 

One way street and a vehicle coming our way!

Lots of crops planted under some sort of biodegradable plastic.  Nothing coming up yet and it is really dry. 

Motorcycles are the main method of transport out here. 

We all noticed how droughty everything looked.  Not much rain this last summer and it shows. 

Way out there past the Palm trees is the ocean. Those covered buildings are shrimp farming.  Lots of it in this are close to the ocean.

A large dune past the palms. 

Motorcycles, high wheeled crop tractors and regular tractors. 

Lush here. 

The ocean appears. 

Up ahead Mariscos El Tigre. 

I got off so Eric could park the bike.  It's all sand here and the footing is really slippery. 

Seated and ready to order.  Frank and Sandi.  Sandi doesn't look happy but...she is. 

Eric.  We brought some Topo Chico to drink.  Just a carbonated mineral water. 

Eric ordered shrimp ceviche and it came out quick.

Camarones ajo or garlic shrimp for me.  Unfortunately they hadn't shelled the shrimp which didn't amuse me. I had to shell them and they were covered in butter and garlic.  Who serves shrimp like that?  You can see the pile of shells on the other plate.  The cheery little waitress wasn't concerned.  I had to go wash my hands before I could eat!!

Frank and Sandi had fish zarandeado or grilled fish with chili's and red onion and cucumber on the side.  I forgot to take a photo until it was almost gone. 

My meal was mediocre and I wouldn't order it again.  Frank and Sandi's fish was good and Eric enjoyed the ceviche but it did create some problems the next day!

After lunch we sat and blabbed for awhile and then it was time to hit the road.  Instead of carrying on and going back through El Rosario and then the free road to Villa Union we just reversed our route.  Much nicer ride.

We passed a truck full of transplants that must be going into those rows of plastic.  Looks like pepper plants. 

No ground is wasted if they are watering. 

Young girls in one of the village getting a ride. 

Coming back through Villa Union on the one way street. 

Another really old building.  Derelict?

Here we're on our way back to the Mazatlan bypass and home.  

Up ahead the Riu hotel on the beach. 

All the way along and everywhere you look there are new subdivisions.  Just crazy. 

Back in Marina Gardens and our house is at the end of the street.  A long day but a good ride with friends for company. 

Not exactly our route but close enough.

Hector's for ladies lunch.

 It was a full day today!  Cathy, Mar, Marilyn and I were off on the bus this morning at 11am and it was packed with standing room only for some!  Lots of national tourists on the bus.  By the time we got to the Golden Zone it started to thin out and more got off on the Malecon.  We got an early start for our 12:30 lunch as I wanted to go to the Angela Peralta ticket office to get tickets for the theater in Jan and Feb.  So....off we went.  We got off at the Mercado or main market and walked through.  You can find anything in the Mercado.   

On the back side of the market on the opposite side of the street is Waldo's.  Basically a Mexican dollar store so we had a look though.  Mar was looking for a new smaller garbage can for her condo and some Christmas lights.  Christmas decoration is a "Huge deal" here in Mexico so she wanted to do her part. 😁

Heading south on Benito Juarez and the back of the Pino Suarez market is on the left.

All the buses stop here to take you anywhere you need to go.  They bring you in on the front of the market and take you home on the back or...west side. 

Up ahead on the left the landmark cathedral....Catedral Basilica de la Inmaculada Concepcion.  

A closer view. 

Revolution square and it's getting decorated for Christmas. 

We all ended up buying tickets for performances at the Angela Peralta.  There is always something going on.  Tickets for the Dec. 13th Broadway show for Marilyn, Cathy and I.  I then got tickets for Eric and I for four Camerata Campell performances in January and February.  This is the 15th year that Gordon Campell has been organizing these concerts.  

Here above we're done and walking through the Plazuela.  

Vendors everywhere here and all around the square there are restaurants.  A huge place to meet and eat in the evening.  Soon it will be all lit up with lights. 

Cathy and I....taken by Mar. 

We're walking over to Hector's for lunch and everywhere you look there's a beautiful building.  This is a newly constructed parking garage!

Out of order but the cathedral by Mar. 

This is Hector's restaurant.  When we arrived Ruth and Marion were waiting.  Hector's won't do individual cheques for large groups so I had booked two tables of four.  When we arrived the table was set for 8 as they said they weren't very busy at lunch so they'd accommodate us.  As it turned out we were only six. 

Cathy, Ruth, Mar, Marion and Marilyn, 

It is a beautiful restaurant.  Very elegant with good service and great food. 

Hmmm....what shall we order. 

Cathy, me and Ruth.

A few drinks were ordered to start....that's Ruth's Negroni. 

Mar loves Margaritas....that's a pretty puny one!

Lunch is served.  Marion had a lovely ham sandwich on ciabatta and they brought two baskets of delicious bread for us to share. I used to come and buy bread from Hector's bakery but the baker has moved and started a new bakery and there isn't much bread available here anymore. 

Ruth ordered a pasta that had calamari, octopus and other seafood.  I caught her mid bite. 😁

Ruth's lunch. 

I usually order something light but today I ordered what I really wanted.  Beef tenderloin with roasted potatoes in a spicy cream sauce with a salad on the side.  You could cut the tenderloin with a fork.  Hector's never disappoints me! Delicious and I only left some salad.

Marilyn, Mar and Cathy had a chicken salad.   Very good!

Lots of tasteful black and white photos of old Mazatlan.  

This is the dessert menu.  What we should have ordered was chocomania and shared but...we didn't!  Ruth was sad.😪  A thoroughly enjoyable lunch in a wonderful restaurant.  Hector's never disappoints.  When we were finished we all wandered off.  Marion, Ruth and Marilyn headed to the quilt shop.  Mar and I headed back to the Mercado area to look for some kitchen items for her. 

Interesting statue...!!

We walked through Revolution square next to Benito Juarez where all the shoe shine guys are.  Hard to shine up flip flops!! 😅 Mar and I wandered north of the market to a kitchen shop or two but in the end we ended up back at Waldo's where she got her small garbage can and some Christmas lights.  

Here we're on our way home on the Malecon.  Tired but happy and full.  A really enjoyable day.