Curious about our excursion? We went on a Segway tour of Old Mazatlán! In the photo below, our tour guide Rodrigo is giving John a lesson about how to steer the Segway.
After we all received lessons about how to use the Segways we were off to Old Town. We visited the main squares in Old Town last year, but it was much more interesting to visit this area with Rodrigo this year. Rodrigo is originally from Mexico but has spent over 20 years living and working in the United States. Because of this, he was able to point out notable buildings and architectural features, as well as describe the way of life of the local people. His English was excellent and he still humored Scott and I by allowing us to practice our Spanish occasionally.
After spending some time in Old Town, we returned to tour the malecon on the Segways. Check out this beach Christmas tree and ornamental decorations. Mexico Christmas!
We also enjoyed a cliff diver in action. We missed this last year because we didn't understand how the system works. But Rodrigo explained it to us this year, and thus we learned to tip the divers a modest amount and how to patiently wait for the diver to "perform".
This was such a fun day! Touring by Segway was a unique way to see the Old Town and the malecon. The Segways were surprisingly easy to ride and Rodrigo was an excellent tour guide.
Next on the agenda? Zip lining!
Two days later we traveled over an hour outside of Mazatlán to the foothills near the village of Veranos. We enjoyed 12 different zip lines, all the while enjoying the beautiful scenery and friendliness of the helpful guides.
The first zip line is always a thrill! John is above and Scott and Amelia are in the photos shown below.
The photo above is of the last zip line, which ends on the border of the small village of Veranos. Amelia and John "raced" each other down the dual line. Our guide explained that the village only has about 200 residents, most of whom get their economic livelihood from supporting the tourist adventure company. The conditions are definitely not first-world equivalent, but the people are so friendly and go out of their way to be good hosts. The tour included a delicious lunch - steak taquitos, guacamole, outstanding fresh salsa (our guide explained the the tomatoes and onions are gown locally), fried cheese, beans and chips. And Pacifico, always a staple in Mexico!
Another fun day! I am a wimp, so zip lining always gets my heart racing. This was my third attempt and I think this was the calmest I have felt jumping off the platforms. It didn't hurt that the family behind us had kids ages 4 and 5 that were zip lining too. If a 4 year-old is brave enough to try zip lining, I had better jump off without screaming!
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