Sunday, April 5, 2009

The Sounds of Mazatlan ... definitly not the Sound of Music


Church Bells – Mazatlan has a huge cathedral in the center of the Old Centro area where we live. The bells ring at odd times but usually around 6:00 AM, noon, 6:00 PM and 9:00 PM or whenever the mood strikes the bell tower operator as far as we can tell. It's hard to distinguish what they are playing – I say O Sussanah, Home Home on the Range but Sandie says Ava Maria – but I'm not really sure she's right.

The Plane Boss, The Plane! - Every day a small Cessna flies over advertising through a couple of large speakers slung under the wings. Sounds like a new business venture for the summer in Winnipeg, don't thnink in Winter there would be enough people out for it to be practicle and there's probably some crazy rule about safety that would also be a problem. Oh well if that won't work maybe a taco stand.

Agua, Agua!!! - A couple of times a day a fellow rides a bike along our street yelling Agua! Or water in English.There is also a truck that drives around selling water but we like the “bike guy”. 15 pesos, 1.50 Cdn buys you a large jug of fresh water and he brings the heavy jug inside for you.

Parades – They just appear as if from another planet. Usually lots of horns, a band or some kind of music, sirens to drive Abi crazy and a few pretty women waving to the people on the street. The problem is no seems to know what the parade is about. Right now with Easter week upon us the city is packed with vacationers from other parts of Mexico enjoying an ocean side holiday. Seems like the number of parades has risen proportionally.

Talking cars and pedal bikes – Every day cars with speakers drive around LOUDLY advertising we're not sure what – could be for a restaurant, a political party or the end of the world! Guess we'll have to learn more Spanish soon or we may miss something important ... like the end of the world. The bikes sell the Noreste newspaper - they have a battery hooked up to a tape machine and speakers blaring out the headlines.

All in all there is always something going on in the background. Right now as I am typing this we are hearing more sirens ... could it be another parade?

1 comment:

  1. The sounds of your Mexico are very interesting and the dogs on the roof are funny.Things are really different there but quaint too.
    Sandie do you remember in Germany all the people that went through the pmqs selling stuff and ringing bells to get people to come out and buy things like flowers and pop. There were lots of village parades there too I've got pics of us wearing CDN
    flag dresses at one where the Germans stuck a tree on a Gasthaus. Thanks for making me recall all that.
    It's Good Friday tomorrow are there lots of Christians in Mexico? Will they be marking the day by going to church if so I guess your in for lots of bell ringing ah you got yo love that especially if you have a hangover from drinking too many margaritas or Dos exos.Enjoy!
    Happy Easter Mike,Sandie and Abby.

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