It was interesting to watch the ship enter the Mazatlan port. The entrance is rather narrow (say, twice the width of the ship) and we went thru it at a pretty good clip (maybe 10 or 15 knots). Once inside the harbor, we went past the dock, then did a 180 to end up docked facing back out (makes leaving easier, I'd assume).
Our shore excursion today was not booked through the ship but rather via the Internet. I had read many reviews of this ship and itinerary on the net, and many of them raved about Randi's horses. I emailed Randi over a month in advance and booked the whole family. We met her dockside and took a jitney to the water taxis, then the water taxi to an island. From there we climbed on horses and proceeded to ride thru coconut groves. We also went past groves of mangos, limes, and fields of sweet potatoes and peanuts. Finally, we turned and went to the beach, where we rode back to where we got the horses.
Now, I'm 43, originally from Texas, and this was the first time I'd ever ridden a horse. I'm a little sore but not too much. It was very interesting, and the horses were very intelligent and easy to control. It was good to get off onto dry land, but we would have been just as happy riding for several more hours. I'll give a better report on the residual soreness, if any, in a few days. (Later: my knee was sore the next day but that was all).
In the meantime, we were very impressed with Randi and her horses. She's been down in Mazatlan for over a decade, and she knows a lot of the locals (and had her own shopping tips). For lunch we went to Victor's (he's the mayor's nephew) and had (mostly) quesadillas, although I hear their shrimp is to die for.
We had time but didn't bother taking the $10 cab ride to the "Golden Zone" where shopping is recommended. We looked at the kiosks at the port terminal but weren't terribly impressed - even the liquor was too expensive. We also heard that Cabo has shopping, but as everything is imported from Mazatlan, prices are expensive.
Copyright © 2008 by Dana Cline
Last updated on 7/8/2008
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