Thursday in Maz

After an hour at the gym, and a stop at the Deli to check email, I spent the morning at the big pool with Donna and the ladies. The day was calm and warm. The pool was not overcrowded, and relatively quiet. A few families with children played in the water, while the older bunch spread out around the perimeter sunning and socializing. London picked out a ceramic piece and began painting it. She seems to be content, being here without her brothers for a few days, and getting a little extra attention from her grams and auntie.
I excused myself about 1:00, took a short walk around the resort, and then returned to the room for a light snack and a shower. Donna had invited me to accompany the ladies to dinner earlier in the day, so I met them at the Villa at 4:30. Marco arrived in the van about ten minutes later. It was good to see him again. He is likely the best tourist guide in Mazatlan and a genuinely nice guy. The past year has been difficult for the Mazatlan tourism industry due to the swine flu scare and the sluggish U.S. economy, and Marco hasn’t escaped the effects. However, he seems to have weathered the worst of it by working longer and harder for Capitano’s Restaurant, as well as any other opportunities that become available.
Marco drives us through Mazatlan, past the Malecon, to Olas Alta. We were planning on viewing the sunset from the rooftop of the Freeman Hotel, but traffic slowed us down, and we ended up racing the sun to the horizon. Instead of the Freeman, we opted for the Dolphins and the naked couple at the Fisherman’s Monument. The sunset was beautiful and enjoyed by all.
After sundown, Marco drove us to a relatively new restaurant near Plaza Machada. The restaurant name is Topolo. Donna ordered a variety of appetizers….grilled shrimp wrapped in prosciutto, grilled asparagus spears, sesame coated grilled salmon, grilled veggies. We all ordered drinks and perused the extensive menu. The entrees were reasonably priced from 120 to 300 pesos, depending on what you wanted, with steaks and seafood at the upper end, and pastas and Mex cuisine at the lower. I opted for Chile Relleno, London ordered pasta, and Marco and the ladies requested shrimp, pork, and steak dishes. All of the plates were arguably above average, and my chile relleno was excellent. I was impressed with the light sauce and creamy goat cheese stuffing. Very nice!
We returned to the Villa by 8:30, where we chatted for a few hours, while soaking in the spa and sipping drinks. A relaxing close to another wonderful day in Mazatlan.