On the way along the coast, we passed through Mazatlán, Nayarit, where Deb got serenaded at the Pueblo Viejo fish restaurant and we stayed at the historic and charming Hotel Belmar, a favourite place of John and family over the years.

(To see larger versions of the photos here, just click on them)

The next morning, we photographed the playful sculptures the longest malecóns in the world (21 km) as the city prepared for Carnival.

(To see full screen photos in the slide show below, click on FS in lower right corner)

Carnival sculptures in Mazatlan

As we headed south along the coast in Sinaloa, we passed the immense greenhouses of large agribusinesses, with fields of tomatoes, corn, alfalfa, and peppers (likely the origin of many of our imported winter vegetables). Then as we entered Nayarit, it was the hillsides of mango and avocado that thrilled us, and that we, of course, had to try.

By the time we reached our dream destination, Chacala, we were faced with two full days of downpours and muddy streets. We managed to get an hour ocean swim in every day, and watched the pelicans diving for small fish meals.

It was probably the low point of our trip, so we burrowed ourselves in our books (we each brought a box full!).

The tide turned on the third day, when we got a gorgeous apartment overlooking the beach (where John had stayed last year) and were finally treated to a sunny day.