WRITING IN MAZATLÁN
Margaritas on the beach, dancing till dawn, playing in the ocean, riding the banana boat or going up in a parasail?
How about lounging in my suite, working on my new book, resting in the shade by the pool, eating lots of good food, and watching quiet sunsets. No, it isn’t the way I would have done it twenty years ago, but I so enjoyed it now.
My husband and I are just back from two weeks in sunny Mazatlán. The weather was perfect: not too hot, not too cold. It can get cool this time of year. It’s nothing compared with a Portland winter, but the difference is none of the hotels have heat. The inside temperature is the same as outside, and that can feel chilly. I remember one trip we spent huddled up in blankets trying to stay warm. After that, I always brought warm clothes and a fuzzy bathrobe, just in case.
This trip, there were a few days of rain, when all the locals shivered in their overcoats and tried to stay inside. I stayed in most of the time as well, but with a covered balcony and a view right over the ocean, I didn’t need to get wet to enjoy myself.
While Jim was fishing and kayaking and roaming around getting us food, I wrote and read and relaxed. With my Long COVID, even the trip on the plane left me exhausted. I did manage two longish walks which I enjoyed, but my third time out, I got dizzy and had to take a Pulmonia* back to the resort.
“Pulmonia Taxis are unique to Mazatlán. Pulmonias are gas-powered open-air taxis that look like supped-up golf carts! Most have stereos and drive around with the music volume cranked up! The majority of Pulmonias are stripped down Volkswagens with custom fiberglass bodies on them.” —Mazatlánvisit.com
I only saw one cat the entire time, a tiny tabby in a Christmas hat being lovingly carried on a pillow in a box like a queen. Jim saw another cat on the beach in front of a house. Everybody seemed to know her, and she was well cared for. We used to go visit the Mazatlán Humane Society, Los Amigos de Animales, but I wasn’t up to the trip this time. The little shelter has come a long way since I first began visiting. They fight an uphill battle in a society that ties up dogs to guard property and sees cats as pests, not pets. But things are changing, just as they have changed here, and there are many people driving a force for humane treatment of all animals which includes vet care and a TNR group.
In my two weeks away, I managed to do a revision on Part One of Ghost Cat and the Haunted House and move on to the first draft of Part Two. I don’t know if I wrote more than I do normally at home, but I enjoyed it as a different way to visualize my work. I believe writing in new places produces alternate dimensions. I’ll see what I think when the book is finished.
I also came up with a sci-fantasy short story idea that has nothing to do with cats. (!)
I am glad to be back in Portland, though I miss the warm weather, the rolling sound of the ocean, and not having anything pressing to do all day. But home is where the cat is, and in our case, three cats, who were glad of our return, then ignored us, and all was back to normal.
I encourage everyone to travel internationally. The US is amazing, but other countries are different, and it’s enlightening. Even if it’s just a sightseeing trip to Mexico or Canada, try to enjoy the local color, go to places besides the tourist traps, talk to the people who live there and make friends with them. There is so much to learn.
