partying - shrimp style

Mazatlan picture post after the jump!  I've been there so many times now that I don't want to repeat too many picture subjects I've posted in the past

 Who doesn't like poorly translated signs with such phrases as "virus sadness of the citruses" and "classic pig fever"?

 do not try to smuggle these products into mexico!  also, note that they prohibit certain brands of jerky. i sense the behind the scenes working of a mexican jerky cartel

 view of the hill from our balcony. my mom lives kinda on the hill

 view from a pulmonia, the glorified golf carts that serve as cabs

 we took the ferry to stone island, the best beach, twice this time.  pacifico is made in mazatlan.  everyone drinks ballenas, which means "whale". it's pretty much the jam.  kids like to split them at bars.

 this is pescado zarandeado, marinated grilled fish. fucking a.

 this is a happy guy on a rented atv.

 tonicol is made in sinaloa, near mazatlan. it's a delicious soda.  I invented a drink with tequila in tonicol that my mom christened a "toni-tee".  pretty clever, that one. I brought back 5 tonicols and scott just texted me that one had exploded in my suitcase.

 this is the raised walkway the "malecon", that runs the entire length of the coastline in maz.  we tried to walk it to the resort area on a blazing day and it turned into a grumpy death march.  we took a cab back to the centro historico after hours of walking.

 here's a secret good beach across the street from where we stay.  it has good waves and gets some surfers.

 there are a lot of statues along the malecon and this time we noticed a plaque and statue of sri chinmoy.

 he is a spiritual leader or cult figure depending on who you talk to.

 we got these at a palapa restaurant on the beach. we figured out that most tacos here are served with a little bit of consomme, either beef or seafood.  it was shrimp season in mazatlan and there were shrimp hawkers everywhere

 this is where we stayed, on this block

 dudes, Mariscos Chon, I've posted about it before.  It is the best place to eat, I wish it was in Sac!  These are smoked marlin, queso chihuahua tacos with homemade corn tortillas.  look at that salsa fresca and avocado sauce!!!!!!! the warmed-up marlin tastes a little like ham.  i was going to bring some home and like an idiot I didn't have time on the last day.

 This is bomb ass machaca

 These tamales have pretty much ruined me for La Esperanza's tamales.  They had a really corn-tastic flavor and tomato mixed into the masa.  The shrimp one was better than the pork, but really I just wanted to eat the thick corn layer all day.

 Here's where we got it

 We walked to Isla de Chivos and it really did have goats!

 Coco Loco made with rum.  The ultimate.

 We went to Mariscos Chon four times and one of the times this band started playing banda music at earsplitting volume across the street just as we sat down.  It was pretty comical, especially with the tinny, warbling horns.  It was like cartoon music, especially when they played "beautiful dreamer"

 I got the "cochinita" or "little pig fish" ceviche and sierra fish.  I'm not sure which half is which.  The one on the left was almost totally grated carrot with just a little fish.  Pretty interesting.

 Marlin burritos with homemade flour tortillas and guac. They were stuffed with just marlin.

 This is our favorite pozole place.  We went on Sunday and it was packed to the gills and we got seated upstairs in a cramped space that may have been the families living room before we realized that on Sunday they only serve menudo.  That's it.  We went back the next day for pozole.

 Ice cream described as "burnt milk" flavor.

 There are so many abandoned mansions from the late 1800s, early 1900s, all with huge courtyards

 Someone was really sad when the Reggae Sunset club night was not a real thing.

 Despite the cheesy name, The Shrimp Bucket has been in business since the 60s and after many different samplings around town we concluded that they have the best chilaquiles.  Here they are with chicken

This shrimp is partying