Today we began our journey (at 5:15am mind you), our final destination being Mazatlan, Mexico. Mazatlan is on the west coast of Mexico, practically a straight shot down from Arizona. They say there’s a population of around 500,000 people who live here. In my opinion, because my one Urban Studies class I took my sophomore year of college has provided me with qualified credentials, there is way more than 500,000 people living here. It’s a beautiful town and our hotel is right on the water!

It’s been a busy day though, exhausting too! This trip I am traveling with my parents, my cousin Timaree, and my best friend in the whole wide world, Cindy. We landed and had to shift our way through customs, get our luggage and find our ride to the hotel. The thing I love about Mexico is that there’s not a lot of restrictions on what you can or can’t do. Rules aren’t really a thing here and I am totally okay with that! Whilst standing in the airport, waiting for other groups to arrive we were approached two separate times by two separate waiters asking if we would like any beers or margaritas. You don’t find that in the states.

Twenty minutes and two couples later, 9 guests all pile into this big shuttle van with the driver and our guide, Fabiola, riding shotgun. It was a wild ride. For those of you who have been to Mexico, you know what I mean, for those of you who haven’t… Well remember the there’s-not-really-any-rules part? That applies to driving as well. People are driving all kinds of speeds, in all kinds of cars, all over the road. No one really is in a lane and people move over or turn from whatever lane they’d feel like, when they feel like it. You have people busting u-turns over medians in the middle of the high way, people jumping on big rigs and cars to clean their windows at a red light. People walk in the street and cross the street whenever they like during traffic and you have a 3 people on a one person motorcycle. All this and so much more can only begin to describe the driving down here.

Cindy was having a bit of culture shock on our drive. I’ve been coming to Mexico since I was a kid, so even though it’s not the best sight, I’m use to it. I’ve seen it. This is Cindy’s first time in Mexico.

Imagine if you will, a highway. Along this high way there are buildings, but the buildings aren’t complete. As you drive along and see the piles of bricks along the sides of the dirt roads you begin to realize it is not that the buildings aren’t complete, they’re run down. You then begin to realize that these shops that look so abandoned are not only shops but people’s homes. Graffiti, everywhere. Covering walls, garages, doors. Kids running up their street, barefoot. Sights that to any American would make your heart sink.

But this is life to them, this is every day living. These families live and love every day, working hard, hanging their clothes out on a line to dry and doing their best to carry on. It can really help you appreciate what you have when you see all you could be without.

Enough of the sad talk though! Once we arrived to the hotel it was time to find our room and put food in our stomachs! We ate lunch at a restaurant on the beach, it’s part of the hotel. It was beautiful. The weather here could not be any more perfect. It’s probably around 80-85 with a cool breeze. Just absolutely fantastic.

So there we are, enjoying our beach side meal under there sun.. breeze blowing lightly, waves crashing, birds flying about chasing each other, children playing in the ocean, people parasaling, calm peaceful splendor and I am thirsty as fuck. They had placed glasses of water on the table, but you know what they say, don’t drink the water in Mexico. Our waiter said the water was purified but as I glanced over to my mother, her face would tell me she was not sold. However, I was feeling ballsy and I think I have a pretty strong immune system, so I went for it. I drank two glasses of water with lunch and so far so good! I was willing to test it, lets hope it’s in my favor.

Our room is absolutely gorgeous. We are on the 18th floor with an impeccable view. The hotel is wonderful, I had a piña colada while we were checking in at the desk!

After a long nap, we decided to go into town and pick up some groceries. We paid 50 pesos to ride the bus to Mega, the market. After an hour of trying to figure out what we wanted and what we needed, we left, in search of the bus that had brought us there. Well, the driver had told us if we just cross the street from where he dropped us off, a bus would come back to pick us up. We cross this busy street through traffic and are waiting on the other side in front of a gas station… suddenly unsure if that was where we actually had to be to get a bus. We are carrying everything we bought in our hands and just waiting. I’m sure to anyone driving by we screamed confused. There’s tons of traffic and cars everywhere. Oh! I forgot to mention, there’s a motorcycle parade in town! There’s an insane amount of people on motorcycles. All kinds of people (14 year olds, biker clubs, men in dresses, etc) and all kinds of motorcycles. Tonight is the last night of this week long event, so naturally, everyone is partying hard. These people on motorcycles are speeding through traffic, cutting through the gas station to get to the street, getting air because of the way the lay out is of the ground. Loud, rambunctious, and wild. It looked way fun. However, we are still waiting for this bus, it’s late, and the motorcycles are blaring ther engines as they speed by as close as possible to us. We finally flag down a “taxi”.

Now when I say taxi, I really mean a golf cart with doors. There are 5 people, 4 seats, and a ton of groceries. There’s no way we would all fit. But, being Mexico, you make it fit.

We were off. My mother, Timaree, Cindy and I in the back bench, my dad riding with the driver. We begin zooming through traffic, racing down the cobblestone road. I am next to the door of the golf cart, thouroughly convinced with each sharp and quick turn that my door was going to fly open and make for a really interesting night. Fortunately, it never did, but the ride was great. I could taste the salt in the air as we raced back to the hotel. We passed a child and his father on a motorcycle, only the child had his head down and was asleep on the gas tank. There were smiles across everyone’s faces as we passed each vendor, looking at all the shops, soaking in the sounds of speeding cars, horns honking, people yelling, and of course mariachi music! It was a beautiful moment in time and as I glance over at Cindy with a smile on my face, I know she too was sharing the same moment as me, loving every minute.

Now back in our room, relaxing and drinking tea, our night comes to a quiet end. It’s been a great first day here and I look forward to the rest of the week.

If you have actually read this whole thing, first of all, props to you. Secondly, I hope you enjoyed it. Sending lots of love and happiness!

Namaste!