Barbara J. Hamby

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Ship Ahoy - Part Three

On Friday morning we had a quick breakfast, then left the ship to board a tram which took us across the dock to a terminal. A bus waited there to take us on a tour of Mazatlan. We met a couple on the bus, across the aisle from us, who were from Ridgefield, Washington. They said they always tell other tourists they’re from Seattle because it’s easier than explaining where Vancouver, Washington is. They told us the truth when they heard we were from Portland, so would know where Ridgefield is.

We noticed lots of blooming flowers as we toured the streets. At one photo stop, we walked through an ornate church with vendors on the steps, reminding me of the Bible story of the moneychangers at the Temple. Inside, the walls, lavishly decorated with frescoes and statues, beckoned our eyes.

The highlight of our second photo stop-- a viewpoint so crowded with vendors selling jewelry, tee shirts, and all sorts of souvenirs, we had trouble walking around--was a man carrying an iguana and a camera. He snapped a picture of us with the iguana on Al’s shoulder, as it leaned over and kissed me on the cheek. What a shock!

Our last stop in Mazatlan was in a shopping area where we were allowed about an hour of free time. We were to meet in a theater area inside the center to watch the Papantla Flyers. We were offered complimentary beer, soda, or water, while the merchants paraded their wares before the show. They displayed lovely embroidered linens and clothing, but the memory of lack of space in my luggage made it easy to resist.

When the actual show began, a number of acts preceded the Papantla dancers. A Mexican hat dance, a cowboy roper, and an Indian dancer impersonating a deer pursued by hunters entertained us with excellent performances.

Last, but certainly not least in our opinion, were the Papantla Flyers. Four of them whirled around, heads down, on what looked like a piece of playground equipment. Then the four climbed a 75-foot pole, where they secured themselves with belts on the four corners of a frame around the top. The fifth Flyer climbed the pole and stood on the top playing a drum and flute, while the other four rotated around and around the pole, upside down. For a detailed description, and pictures, there are several websites on line. Two examples follow:

http://www.baxtion.com/us/mx/papantla_flyers.htm

http://www.earthdancer.org/TradeDays/flyers.html

On our bus ride back to the ship, a caravan of circus animals in cages passed us, to add to the flavor of being in a strange town in another country. The ship departed at 5:00 p.m. toward Cabo San Lucas.