Mazatlan is a city of contrasts. There is the Golden Zone, with many fancy hotels, tourist activities and restaurants and the Centro with its older buildings and pretty squares and markets. Oh, and besides that there is the industrial side of the city - it is home to Pacifio Brewing and many other commercial users.

We are staying in Centro, in a B & B one block from the water. The malecon is wonderful to walk along...but we've only seen one dog.

We went out with a realtor yesterday but the usual mishaps with keys gave us only one place to see - a duplex for $265/$239 in Centro that had been totally redone with new plumbing, electrical, whole house water sterilization, etc. It was very nice but our socks didn't exactly roll up and down.

We're going on a tour of the city today in one of those touristy open air "pulmonias" they use around here. I'm not sure if it will be really goofy or if we'll learn a lot.

It's so nice to be back in Mexico. Last night was wonderful in the main square, nice jazzy music outside, everyone happy, lots of families and smiling, strolling people.

We'll write more later! Breakfast time!