MexiKitty

This week, our travel-pic theme is X for Xerox – black-and-white reproductions of some pics we’ve taken around the world.

Today, its Mazatlan-Moggie!

Why a picture of a cat? Because there aren’t enough cat pictures on the Internet!

Seriously, though, this gorgeous grey mackerel tabby was sunning herself on a driveway in Mazatlan as we walked past and when Shirley stopped to say hello the cat sauntered out and graciously allowed herself to be petted 🙂

She was such a friendly thing that we had to give her some attention – as she purred contentedly and made our day.

In Mazatlan you get off your cruise ship and then can either walk or take a Pulmonia – a sort of overgrown golf cart that are the primary form or transport for tourists.

An open-air vehicle reminiscent of the old Mini-Moke, these are only found in Mazatlan – and apparently get their name from an insult.

When Pulmonia drivers first started plying their trade in the 60s, cabbies tried to convince tourists not to take them, or risk catching pneumonia (or pulmonia in Spanish)

The advice didn’t take – but the name did!

Anyway, if you decide against a pulmonia, there is a pleasant stroll (which is exceptionally well signposted) from the wharf into the centre of Mazatlan.

There were only a few of us wandering along that route and most people ignored La Gata (*)

But not us 🙂

What else can you see in Mazatlan?

Amongst other things, a magnificent Cathedral (funded in part by the local Jewish community!) and a lovely plaza surrounded by bars and cafes – where we sat having a beer and watching local hip-hop dancers busking for pesos.

We only got to spend a day in Mazatlan but I can see why there are hundreds of ‘snow-geese’ – US citizens who fly down to Mazatlan each winter, and offer their services as volunteer guides for the tens of thousands of tourists who arrive each year.

(*) I called our feline friend La Gata, rather than El Gato – because tabbies are traditionally thought of as female. And we didn’t bother checking her (or his) plumbing anyway – we were too busy being seduced by those gorgeous eyes.