Foto Tunes

Tom the backroads traveller hosts this weekly meme.


2019 - Mazatlan Mexico

House on a Hill

Tuesday Treasures

Tom the backroads traveller hosts this weekly meme.

#TravelTuesday
Our World Tuesday

Mazatlan Mexico

I'm not a huge fan of oysters, but am always willing to try. And that I did in 2014.

Oyster Divers in Mazatlán/Los Ostioneros

But since then I've been curious how they are fished. I've culled the following information from various online sources.

There are at least ten locations or oyster reefs around town that are good for diving. They start work about 8 or 8:30 each day, diving till 10:30 or 11.

The divers, some of whom wear wet suits, take floating inner tubes fitted with nets out into the sea and armed with sharp tools, dive down to the oyster reefs to harvest the shellfish, while holding their breath.

If the water is about three meters deep, they stay down about 40 seconds, hammering on the rock to get the oysters loose. If it’s deeper water, they may stay down as few as 20 seconds at a time. 

Each diver makes what he makes; they are not a cooperative. A normal haul — one fill of the net in one of their inner tubes — is about 50 kg of scratchy shells on their backs and pack the oysters into green mesh bags that weigh about 23 kg each that will be sold wholesale to restaurants. 

They throw the shucked oyster shells back into the ocean in order to increase the harvest as the shells have larvae on them, and they will replant and grow. 

They have a forced holiday every summer, when the veda is in place — when it’s illegal to dive for oysters. That’s why September is so often called “Septi-hambre,” the hungry month, because it comes after they’ve had three months of no oyster income.

Most are sold to local restaurants but there are also informal spots along the Malecon where they are sold as fresh as they can be!

Carnaval 2019

February 2019 - Mazatlan Mexico

Click on the links to our previous photos.
Carnaval 2013

Carnaval 2014

Parade 2014



2015 we didn't come to Mexico

Carnaval 2016 Princess Parade we were elsewhere in Mexico for Carnaval

Carnaval 2017

Carnaval 2018

Mazatlan is the world's third largest carnival celebration. The town starts dressing itself up.

The 2019 theme is "Equinox: The Rebirth of the Senses".

A few weeks before Carnival starts, giant multi-coloured carnival figurines (called 'Monigotes', i.e. puppets) go up around town on the Malecon and in the Plaza Machado. These figurines are based on the theme of the current year's carnival.

But apparently, the figurines this year are not quite the same as in previous years. According to a survey by the newspaper El Debate, there are many locals and tourists who are not happy with this year’s Monigotes.

Some of those interviewed said that they really do not see a connection of some of the figures – like a scarecrow or an indigenous doll – with the Carnaval.

This year the Carnaval theme is Equinox, and some figures are related to the sun and moon, but many people said that it would be easier to understand the figures with a brief explanation of each design.

I really think that previous years' “monigotes” were of better quality, fashioned out of ” papier-mache” while this year they are made of fabric and wire frames. Also previous designs were more creative and colorful representing the joy of Carnaval.

There have also been newspaper reports stating that this year's puppets were much more expensive than previous years.

Click here for a fun local's take on some of the puppets. Noah Lentz is a Mazatlan photographer/graphics designer whom we first met at Tippy Toes.

UPDATE - my friend Carol, got most of the titles which were added later. Check her blog here.

And over at Plaza Machado.

UPDATE

Another puppet went up later along the Malecon.

Click here to see some of the preparations for the big weekend.