I am really glad we decided to settle in Mazatlán.  I love living by the ocean.  I love the weather most of the time.  But really it is all about the people.  I just love the people here.

The Mexican population is  just so nice!  No one is ever impatient with my Spanish, I truly think they like to help, they are that nice. How can that be? Everyone smiles and greets each other.  People want to chat.  People inquire about our dogs and sometimes ask if their kids can pet them.  Workers putting up the colored lights for Carnaval smile shyly.  A store owner greets me and congratulates me on not buying cigarettes from him any more.  Albañils who have worked in our house wave enthusiastically when they see me.  It is like living in a small town here in Centro, but better.  A small town but with big city interests.  It’s a city that loves music, and babies, and culture, and the beach and cold beer.

The gringo population here in Centro feels the same.  Friendly, interesting, interested, warm.  A joke here is how hard it can be sometimes to keep your calendar clear!  There is always something going on in town, and before or after it is a nice excuse to meet for a walk or a beer or a sunset.  Paul and I are kind of in the middle, we like to go and do but we are also homebodies… but any evening a walk to the plaza or the malecon will find us visiting with friends, smiling, and laughing.  There is an active bi-cultural art community and lots of good works with the orphanages or the local schools to get involved with if you’re so inclined.

Right now there is a crisis as a young British man who has been living here and studying Spanish is in the hospital in serious condition from a 7 story fall.  His O- blood type is not common in Mexico, and he needs multiple surgeries so there has been a call out for blood donors in the gringo community.  Lots of people have donated, and I believe the rules have been stretched to allow donations by those who are over-60 retirees. The family has set up a Facebook page with frequently updated information here if you are a Facebook user.  I just love how everyone has pitched in to get the word out about the need to donate.  It was announced at some of the bars and restaurants and there were two announcements at the baseball game last night.

Right now I am taking a deep breath… it has been a bit of a social whirl for the last few weeks.  But the city is getting geared up for a party, Carnaval, coming February 11 to 16.