Sheila OConnor
SF World Travel Examiner
June 12, 2012
"Hola! Vamonos!" yells a voice in the crowd and with that the action begins.
The music is loud and now everyone is dancing in the streets. I spot one lady tapping her foot and swaying in time to the Latin beat, on this, a warm, balmy, Mexican evening.
She is by herself, as am I, and without anyone to dance with, we look at each other, shrug our shoulders and - laughing - start dancing together. We even end up dancing in sync - each of us following the other's movements, and all the while giggling like a couple of schoolkids.
And it's perfectly okay to dance with a total stranger here, because, tonight, it's a festive evening here in Mazatlan - in fact it's the Dia de la Musica. This is just one of the many evenings in Mazatlan when it's all about the dancing and having fun.
Neither the Mexican lady nor I can speak the other's language, although the señora does seem vaguely familiar.
But it doesn't seem to matter. We are doing our own version of rock and roll, with a little of the "Twist" thrown in (didn't know I could still do the "Twist" all the way down to the ground - that's nice to learn) all the while smiling and moving to the beat, against a backdrop of Mexican homes with their charming shades of cantaloupe.
Then we break out into hoots of laughter as we have a go at doing "the Bump" with each other - a dance that hit the disco scene *cough* some years back.
For the Dia de la Musica celebration there are actually five stages open, all offering different types of music, from classical to jazz to disco to Mexican. And it's all free. On the day I was there, everything from jazz to classical to Mexican music had people up out of their seats. The Mexican music was, by far, however, the most popular both with locals and visitors alike.
Dedicated non-dancers in the crowd (although, in my opinion, there's no such thing - everyone can move from side to side), I was later told, even found themselves unable to resist getting up and moving.
As the evening came to an end, I smiled at the señora, give her a hug and thanked her, in English. She smiled and nodded in return and bid me what was, no doubt, "good night" in Spanish.
This is the Mazatlan that people told me not to go to. They warned me it was too dangerous. Too dangerous? No way! The people here are nothing short of friendly, hospitable and - it has to be said - pretty good at dancing too.
But when you're done with the dancing, know that there are plenty of other things to keep you amused here in Mazatlan. This town is a vacation destination that has just about everything you could imagine - from history to art to a roaring nightlife.
After you've been here, in fact, you'll be asking yourself what took you so long to discover it. It's not for nothing celebrities like John Wayne discovered the town for themselveds a long time ago, and even Ernest Hemingway found inspiration for his writing here.
No doubt that inspiration came from Mazatlan's historical district. Did you know that it was named a National Heritage site back in 2001? Yes, it's true. And it's not for nothing this cultural gem has been "discovered" by some 7,000 expat Americans and Canadians who now call Mazatlan their home.
History
When it comes to history, the town originally got started when ancient mariners came here to look for silver. Alas, they found nada. At least in terms of silver, that is - they did find a very wonderful coastal town, however.
You can take a bus tour on the FunBus and get an overview of the town, or check out the Waterfront Promenade which has five miles of sculptures to view. The area even has the
world's tallest natural lighthouse.
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