Day Seis and Siete of da Cruise, or The Restaurant that Shall Not Be Named, or more beach front and shopping, or the post where I finally reveal the face of the Spartan, or day(s) of the polar bear, monkey, and snail.

I know you’ve been waiting for the final chapter of the Great Christmas Cruise. Well, I will not make you wait anymore!

Enter: Mazatlan

Mazatlan was our final stop before pulling up anchor and cruising back to the good old US of A. They always say to save the best for last – and Mazatlan was definitely the best stop for me. I feel it took the shopping and hyped-up beachfront of Cabo and combined it with the local shopping, mingling, and eatering of La Paz. What better way to sum up a cruise than combining everything together in one big old hot mess of a port? Right? Right!

Lets look at some images:

First we ventured around town to stumble (luckily) upon the Historic District in Mazatlan. Here are some things you might find in a historic district de Mexico.

A turquoise walll... naturally 

A pot-bellied Buddah-esque Spaniard.... again, naturally. (See how I'm ALSO trying to be a pot-bellied Buddah-esque Spaniard?) 

A Golden Feliz Navidad! Alright... I know no one will pity me when I say it was really weird to spend Christmas in 80 degree weather. But truly, it was pretty weird. Hearing Silent Night being played outside churches with the bright sun warming your face and palm trees swaying in the wind is a bit disconcerting. Snort! Who am I kidding! It was GREAT! And you are all SUCKERS for being cold! HA!

And what's Christmas without... you guessed it... Jesus

                                                                      

And Church

Never fear, Tommy the donkey was there too. I mean, no way Mary was going to make it to Bethlehem without a Tommy right? Lets give a shout out to Tommy! Heeeeey....ohhhhhhh!

This little structure below happens to be a really good restaurant. Nay, the BEST restaurant in the WHOLE freaking Mexican WORLD we did ever consume of the Mexican deliciousness within!! I'm submitting that whole phrase for the restaurant-yet-to-be-named, name. It was a fairly new venture for the owner - no name - no on-hand chips for the salsa (but never fear - they had a little 9 year old senorita scamper down to the local grocer and pick us up a bag)- and a few lawn chairs set up at fold out tables. But my friends - I've never had a finer burrito before or since... nor I expect ever again. And don't even get me started on the Pico. I think this blog would turn quickly obscene if you wanted to hear about the Pico. It was... REALLY good. So so so goooooood.

We also did alot... ALOT of shopping in Mazatlan and really, anywhere I can do a lot of really great cheap shopping will always hold a special sparkling place in my heart. It's my fondest memory of Cambodia. Forget that dusty old Angkor Watt!

Here is some of that "disconcerting" beach front I was talking about earlier. I guess I could get used to a balmy Christmas and Santa in a speedo.

Speaking of speedos... here's the Spartan

WOW! I kind of just dropped that right down on your face didn't I? That's really him though. I felt there was no need for a "build-up" because frankly, I've built him up over three previous posts and this picture makes him look like a loony tune. I was hoping he'd change it before the end of this post came around - a fools hope! Guess he's happy with this picture indefinitely. He should take FB-stalking former cruisers into consideration. Doesn't he know we'll talk about him as being the basic staple of our cruise enjoyment? Sheesh. Or perhaps his friends call him Crazy-Eye Spartan back home which in such a case, I guess this picture is fairly FB perfect. Truth be told he probably was a little loony, what with his idolization of that NFL fellow, his eating of raw animal genitals, and his proclaiming ultimate victory on any Survival-type show ever created because "if the animals can survive off grass and carcass; why can't we?" Well Spartan, I'll save the obvious drivel about opposable thumbs, brain mass, and bi-ped nature of humans. Not to mention the lack of various things such as claws, fur, stretchy tongues to nab insects, and an overabundance of soft pliable flesh, and just let you live in that dream. Who am I to take that away?

Anyway - that's the Spartan - lowered on you like a BOOM from above - much like he descended upon me. 

To conclude this final posting of the Cruise - I will tell you that Christmas Eve and Christmas Day was spent lounging on the boat in more sunshine, reading novels, visiting the Spartan when we could, and eating. I guess that's how I spend most Christmas's - lounging and eating - but without the Spartan or the sun (which were clearly KEY to my Christmas happiness this year). All and all it was relaxing and enjoyable. I'd recommend a cruise if you really want to completely relax - there's no major planning involved and everything is basically taken care of for you. I've been out of the country two other times - and though I loved it all - there's a certain element of mental exhaustion and stress that goes with any vacation, particularly of the international variety. So a cruise was just the relaxation ticket I was looking for. Of course, I'd never choose to see the Islands of the Mediterranean this way or perhaps not even the Caribbean. But Mexican Riviera? Sure, why not.

Oh, and don't worry, next to the Spartan, I know your anxious to see the critters we spent our final days at sea with.

There was Mr. Polar Bear

Lady Snail

And my personal favorite of which I didn't see until after we'd enter our cabin and I was tearing up because I didn't think we'd received a towel-critter on CHRISTMAS EVE! Gasp!

                                                                  Spunky the Monkey!