Mazatlan #10: The Series: Nachito, and others

Juan Jose introduced us to Nacho, an intellectual, musician, and music teacher from Mexico City who has lived in Mazatlan for 10 years.

Nacho invited us over to his home for an exemplary meal (sopa de frijoles, salmon, postre) and conversation. It was a wonderful noche.

The world is minute, as I am ever learning. I first learned about Nacho in 2002, via another friend, photographer Gerardo Montiel Klint, who lived with Nacho and his family for a time.

Nacho played "New York, New York" for us on his double bass.

I've learned something about the drug problems here, and how they are related to politics and corn. Yes, corn. This is a huge simplification, but it seems that in the field, corn and marijuana are complementary plants, and when the new government (PAN, which replaced PRI, who until 2000 had held power in Mexico for 80 years) doubled corn production, marijuana growth also doubled.

We also happened onto a bar full of expats the other day; it was a veritable Peyton Place. A few of the folks were friendly, but others clearly gave us the impression that we were not welcome. On two occasions I was struck by the utter arrogance of some expats.

Both times I met let's-call-him-David, he literally turned his back to me and said nary a word (to me) the entire time I was there. He was also one of the two expats we met who answered Greg's friendly question: "Where are you from?" with a semi-hostile: "I'm from here." Yeah. Right. You're from Michigan, or Vancouver Island, or Florida. You may have owned property in Mazatlan for 3 or 5 years, or even longer, but you are definitely not from here. These guys could spend the rest of their lives, be that 10 or 35 years, but they will never be FROM HERE. What a joke. And what extraordinary arrogance.

We've met a man who was an extra in the movie "Titantic" and "Troy."

We've met a woman who simultaneously reads and walks, all over the city.

We've met the doctor who owns the loro (looks like a macaw, I thought it was a parrot, but it is a loro -- a bird indigenous to an island off the coast of Mazatlan -- that talks a blue streak, and so often whistles the tune "The More we get together, the happier we'll be ..." I freaking LOVE this bird. http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psittacidae

I am gaining more material each day for my major writing project -- an essay -- in Mazatlan.