Shrimp, Shrimp and More Shrimp

It has been a great family week here in Mazatlan.  It's been a lot of eating and talking and sun and pool time and a little drinking.  Terri's niece and nephew have gone home and my sister Sara and her friend Carol have arrived.



13 family and friends having dinner.

Shrimp and lobster are caught right out in front of us in the Sea of Cortez.  Therefore we have been eating fresh shrimp on a regular basis.  I am sure I have put on a few pounds in the last three weeks of eating to much.  But I don't know because we don't have a scale here yet, maybe I can remain in denial forever if we don't get a scale.  I think that's my plan.... no scale, no weight gain.

Yesterday Dave, Tom and I drove down to Centro (Old Town) and went to the "Shrimp Ladies".  There are a couple dozen shrimp vendors that line one side of the block.  We double parked right in front of them (a very Mexican thing to do) and purchased our shrimp.

We bought 3 kilo of fresh salt water shrimp.  That's 6.6 pounds of shrimp for the 11 people coming to dinner at our home last night.  We had a shrimp feast last night that included grilled shrimp and "Shrimp Boil" which is Jamie's specialty.  With all the trimmings to go with the shrimp everyone was "Fat & Sassy" by the time we were done.  But that didn't stop any of us from eating desert.

Our after dinner desert.  Chocolate chocolate  cake from Panamas Bakery.

The party broke-up around 10:30 and I drove Sara and Carol back to their hotel.  The buses had stopped running so I have no idea how the rest of the crowd got home, but I would guess they found a red pick-up truck to get a ride in.  That is not abnormal, we all ride around in the back of red Nissan pick-ups.  No need for seat belts here,  just hold on tight.

Sara's friend Carol had never been to Centro and the Market so Sara and I took her on the walking tour.  We wandered through the Market and I purchased 10 homemade tamales from an old lady vendor.  We checked out one of the many fabric stores and both ladies purchased materials. Sara purchased 2 meters of a cotton fabric for 18 pesos ($1.50 US).  Carol purchased a meter of upholstery material for 29 pesos ($2.30).  In the states it would cost 3 or 4 times that much at the least.

We went to a couple galleries that were in the residences of the artists. We finished our three hour walk with smoothies in the oldest part of Mazatlan, Olas Altas.  While waiting for the bus home we watched the surfers and boggie boarders in the surf.  We just about missed the bus and had to make a last second dash across the street to catch the bus.  FYI, Mexican drivers do NOT slow down or stop for pedestrians. A cross walk really means nothing, you are on your own to watch out and make a dash between cars or taxi's.

What are they?

O.K. Trin what are they and how would you eat these?  These were at the market so they must be eatable.  Just one of the many mysteries we see in the market.

And I will leave you with the view from our deck last night.  Another quiet sunset in Mazatlan.

Last nights sunset over the Sea of Cortez.