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Exploring Mazatlan
Dec. 1st, 2018 09:15 am(**DISCLAIMER**: The views expressed in this blog are my own and do not reflect the views of my employer!)
11/25
Today is Stacey’s birthday!
Last night the most awesome thing happened. I was already asleep, it was a little after midnight. Suddenly I heard music, like guitars and such. The music seemed to get louder, and I realized it was the Mariachi band playing right outside our door! I stayed in bed so as not to wreck the moment. They played Happy Birthday in Spanish and English for Stacey! Standing there in the hallway in her pajamas, she was laughing as everyone clapped and wished her a happy birthday. How sweet is that!
I don’t know about her, but I had some lovely Mariachi dreams after that!
This morning we are at sea. It still seems a bit rough, but not nearly as bad as a few nights ago. I had breakfast, and had enough wifi to talk with Jameson and see how he’s doing. He just got back from Thanksgiving in Chicago with his family. He had fun but he’s pretty tired. Also the fridge seems to be acting up, and he’s worried we might have to buy a new one. I hope not. I was happy to be able to talk with him for a bit.
Jerome (bass, formerly my bandmate on the circus) sent me a catch-up email just to see how things were going on the ship and to give me some updates on his life as a bassist in New York. I was glad to hear from him and hear how things are going with him. I told him a bit about my experiences so far on the ship. Sometimes it’s nice just to talk…I feel like that’s a rare thing any more. Instead of conversations, people just want to impose their viewpoints on each other. I just want to know how my friend is doing. He just wanted to know how I was doing. That’s how people show that they care about each other, you know? Not by forcing views onto each other or cramming unsolicited advice down each others’ throats. Sorry, I’ve grown a big chip on my shoulder from some of the messages and comments I received after the circus closed. Suffice to say, I was happy to hear from Jerome and have a good conversation with him. He’s a former cruise ship musician himself, and has given me lots of helpful advice and insight.
Anyway, after that I went to practice music for a new Motown show we’re doing tonight, then had a little time to relax before lunch and rehearsal.
The shows went well tonight. Our guest entertainer, Bryan Cheatham, is a cool dude with a great voice and a wonderful life story to share. I really enjoyed performing his show.
We arrive in Cabo San Lucas tomorrow. We’ll have the Disco Deck Party to perform, and also a jazz set. Jazz sets…sigh.
11/26
It was a nice day in Cabo.
I had weird dreams and woke in a weird mood. After breakfast I spent some time messing around on the computer before the disco sound check up on Deck 16. Well, there was supposed to be a sound check. Instead there was a movie playing on the giant screen, so we had to reschedule for 8pm.
I had a nice lunch and went to the gym for the first time in a while. Afterward I wasn’t feeling great so just hydrated and read for a little while. Then we had a jazz set (probably the reason I wasn’t feeling well, nerves) which went all right I guess. I mean my solos were all right, but this time I struggled with communication. They’re looking at me, am I supposed to take a solo now, or play the melody again? That chord change isn’t what’s written, are we ending the piece or is this a transition to something else? Everyone seems to either know what to do or be able to communicate it in a way that I’m not picking up on. There’s a mystery etiquette, or language, or standard, that I am not privy to. Most of the time that leaves me confused, frustrated, and feeling like I’m being hazed. But you know what, that’s my problem. I don’t expect my bandmates to babysit me. There’s no one to be angry with but myself. I was just hoping that by now I’d understand a little better, or be in on what’s happening during each set.
Well…I had wanted the opportunity to try. And if nothing else I’m still grateful for that. Most groups would not even grant me that privilege.
Later on we had our sound check, then Nia and her boyfriend and I had dinner in the guest buffet before the Disco Deck Party (which went just fine). Tomorrow it’s Mazatlan again, and this time I’ve got the whole day off, so I may go explore.
11/27
Started my day with breakfast at the guest buffet!
The thing with breakfast buffet is that we aren’t allowed to eat there A) if it’s very busy, B) if it’s a sea day, or C) during peak hours. So if you want to eat there, you kind of have to plan for it. Today we arrived in Mazatlan early, around 8am, meaning that many people would be ashore by the afternoon. It was also not a sea day. So I thought I might have a good chance. It was a bit busy when I got there, but despite that it was OK to grab breakfast. Yay!
Breakfast in the crew mess is very good as well, but sometimes a change is nice. You don’t see smoked fish, French toast, or yogurt parfaits in the crew mess :)
After breakfast I went exploring in Mazatlan!
Knowing that I may not be able to find internet right away, I had used the ship internet to plot my route to the historic district by taking screenshots of maps and directions. But that all turned out to be unnecessary…the route was marked with a big blue line in the middle of the street. All you had to do was follow it to reach the main square. Smart!
The road took me through some nice neighborhoods…much nicer than those I’ve seen while in Mexico City with the circus. I’m sure with a bunch of tourists regularly passing though the area extra efforts are taken to keep the “blue line” clean. There was also a strong police presence, and volunteer Q&A folks standing on almost every street corner to help you find your destination or recommend places to see/eat. It was really very well-planned. Still, in the market areas there were a lot of vendors and hawkers trying to rope tourists into spending money. I made sure to wear my crew ID in a prominent place. While my clothes and blindingly white skin may scream “tourist”, the crew card screams “don’t waste your breath heckling this person” haha.
First I visited the big historic cathedral near the center of town. I have seen it from a distance every time we’re in port and have been wanting to go check it out. It was beautiful.
Construction began in 1856 on the site of an ancient Indian temple. One notable feature found in this cathedral are the stained glass windows, many of which feature a Star of David. The reason for the incorporation of the Jewish religious symbol is unclear, but legend has it that the stars were included as a token of gratitude for a donation made to the church by Mazatlan’s Jewish community.
(photo courtesy colonialmexicoinsideandout.com)
A few blocks away from the cathedral was a large open-air market. It was very crowded and nothing jumped out at me from the usual selection of touristy knickknacks, so after a quick walk-through I moved on to a bread store. I wanted to eat everything but exercised self-control.
Back in the “blue line” plaza, I ran into the band ladies having some drinks together. They were pretty much finished and heading their separate ways by the time I got there. Jane (boss, pianist) and I went searching for wifi and coffee and found it just a block away at a nice coffee shop called Allegro. We chilled there and enjoyed an Americano and some pulled pork sandwiches while checking our email and social media. I don’t get to spend a whole lot of one-on-one time with Jane because she’s so dang busy…as the Music Manager she’s in charge of all the musicians on the ship, plus she has to perform, and that’s a LOT of work. It was nice to have a nice quiet hang with her :)
When we were finished I decided to return to the ship as it looked like rain. I had lunch and started some laundry. Stacey came back soon after to have a shower and prepare for the evening production show (the horns aren’t involved in that) so I hung out in the crew bar, typing this post and enjoying some decaf tea so that she could have the cabin to herself for a bit. Then dinner and some anime, and some planning for tomorrow.
We’ll be back in Vallarta. I have IPM duty, but Stacey has graciously agreed to stand in for me in the morning (she says she’ll be asleep anyway) while I scoot over to the mall for the internet. In the evening we have shows with our next guest entertainer.
11/28
It was pouring in Vallarta!
After a bit of hesitation I decided to go to the mall anyway. I need to be looking for jobs, and since I only have free and reliable internet for a few select ports for a few select hours, I need to take advantage of that regardless how inconvenient it may be sometimes. I got to the mall soaking wet...but hey, it's just water.
Also...I was going to refrain from saying anything derogatory about passengers. But GEEZ. There were so many people whining about the rain, and demanding that they receive covered escort to and from the ship, and on and on about how "This is ridiculous!". My goodness people, bless your hearts.
Anyway, I was at the mall for a few hours looking for jobs and typing this blog. I returned to the ship and cleaned myself up, had lunch, and practiced for our show with Jamie Crockart tonight. It's a rock/soul show, should be fun!
And it was :)
The next two days are sea days. I'm hoping it won't be as rough as last time, but with the way the weather is right now, who knows.
11/29
The seas were indeed a bit rough today. I had a nice breakfast and decided to hit the gym right away because if it was going to get any worse I might make excuses about falling off the elliptical or something.
After the gym we had a rehearsal for the Voice, then I had lunch and spent some time reading in a stairwell near midship. You see my room is forward, in the prow of the ship, and the plunging motion there is pretty strong.
Around 3:30 I went to the medical center just to ask what they’ve got available for motion sickness. They don’t do the patch here because of the side effects, but they had some Meclazine sitting in a big box, free to grab for all crew. I took a handful, went up to the guest buffet for some snacks, and took one of the pills about an hour before our first show of the evening.
We had three shows with Bryan Cheatham and all went well. His music has been really fun to play, and he’s a pleasure to work with.
After the shows we were all pretty tired, and the ship was plunging quite a bit harder. There are gale-force winds and 13ft waves! At the risk of motion sickness I’ll try to get some footage tomorrow because it’s pretty impressive to see the ship break through the waves. My medicine worked quite well and I’ll definitely be taking it again tomorrow. Just lying in bed the motion is extremely strong, and tomorrow is supposed to be the worst of it.
11/30
It’s the last day of November, holy crap! Just one month and nineteen days until I get to see Jameson! :D
Today was ROUGH. Just walking around the ship was a struggle, especially near the prow. After taking a great deal of motion sickness medication I went out on deck to get some footage.
I'm trying to sleep but the motion of the ship makes it hard. Tomorrow, I just wanna get off this boat as soon as possible.
01/12
I got off the boat as soon as possible.
Walked to Sacred Grounds to post this blog and take care of updating my devices. Next I'll walk a few blocks to Hojas for some food, some awesome tea, and hopefully to do some job applications and another project I've been working on.
This week was fun, but that last day at sea was awful. I really hope the weather improves from here on out. But I'm also very grateful for whoever invented motion sickness remedies.
11/25
Today is Stacey’s birthday!
Last night the most awesome thing happened. I was already asleep, it was a little after midnight. Suddenly I heard music, like guitars and such. The music seemed to get louder, and I realized it was the Mariachi band playing right outside our door! I stayed in bed so as not to wreck the moment. They played Happy Birthday in Spanish and English for Stacey! Standing there in the hallway in her pajamas, she was laughing as everyone clapped and wished her a happy birthday. How sweet is that!
I don’t know about her, but I had some lovely Mariachi dreams after that!
This morning we are at sea. It still seems a bit rough, but not nearly as bad as a few nights ago. I had breakfast, and had enough wifi to talk with Jameson and see how he’s doing. He just got back from Thanksgiving in Chicago with his family. He had fun but he’s pretty tired. Also the fridge seems to be acting up, and he’s worried we might have to buy a new one. I hope not. I was happy to be able to talk with him for a bit.
Jerome (bass, formerly my bandmate on the circus) sent me a catch-up email just to see how things were going on the ship and to give me some updates on his life as a bassist in New York. I was glad to hear from him and hear how things are going with him. I told him a bit about my experiences so far on the ship. Sometimes it’s nice just to talk…I feel like that’s a rare thing any more. Instead of conversations, people just want to impose their viewpoints on each other. I just want to know how my friend is doing. He just wanted to know how I was doing. That’s how people show that they care about each other, you know? Not by forcing views onto each other or cramming unsolicited advice down each others’ throats. Sorry, I’ve grown a big chip on my shoulder from some of the messages and comments I received after the circus closed. Suffice to say, I was happy to hear from Jerome and have a good conversation with him. He’s a former cruise ship musician himself, and has given me lots of helpful advice and insight.
Anyway, after that I went to practice music for a new Motown show we’re doing tonight, then had a little time to relax before lunch and rehearsal.
The shows went well tonight. Our guest entertainer, Bryan Cheatham, is a cool dude with a great voice and a wonderful life story to share. I really enjoyed performing his show.
We arrive in Cabo San Lucas tomorrow. We’ll have the Disco Deck Party to perform, and also a jazz set. Jazz sets…sigh.
11/26
It was a nice day in Cabo.
I had weird dreams and woke in a weird mood. After breakfast I spent some time messing around on the computer before the disco sound check up on Deck 16. Well, there was supposed to be a sound check. Instead there was a movie playing on the giant screen, so we had to reschedule for 8pm.
I had a nice lunch and went to the gym for the first time in a while. Afterward I wasn’t feeling great so just hydrated and read for a little while. Then we had a jazz set (probably the reason I wasn’t feeling well, nerves) which went all right I guess. I mean my solos were all right, but this time I struggled with communication. They’re looking at me, am I supposed to take a solo now, or play the melody again? That chord change isn’t what’s written, are we ending the piece or is this a transition to something else? Everyone seems to either know what to do or be able to communicate it in a way that I’m not picking up on. There’s a mystery etiquette, or language, or standard, that I am not privy to. Most of the time that leaves me confused, frustrated, and feeling like I’m being hazed. But you know what, that’s my problem. I don’t expect my bandmates to babysit me. There’s no one to be angry with but myself. I was just hoping that by now I’d understand a little better, or be in on what’s happening during each set.
Well…I had wanted the opportunity to try. And if nothing else I’m still grateful for that. Most groups would not even grant me that privilege.
Later on we had our sound check, then Nia and her boyfriend and I had dinner in the guest buffet before the Disco Deck Party (which went just fine). Tomorrow it’s Mazatlan again, and this time I’ve got the whole day off, so I may go explore.
11/27
Started my day with breakfast at the guest buffet!
The thing with breakfast buffet is that we aren’t allowed to eat there A) if it’s very busy, B) if it’s a sea day, or C) during peak hours. So if you want to eat there, you kind of have to plan for it. Today we arrived in Mazatlan early, around 8am, meaning that many people would be ashore by the afternoon. It was also not a sea day. So I thought I might have a good chance. It was a bit busy when I got there, but despite that it was OK to grab breakfast. Yay!
Breakfast in the crew mess is very good as well, but sometimes a change is nice. You don’t see smoked fish, French toast, or yogurt parfaits in the crew mess :)
After breakfast I went exploring in Mazatlan!
Knowing that I may not be able to find internet right away, I had used the ship internet to plot my route to the historic district by taking screenshots of maps and directions. But that all turned out to be unnecessary…the route was marked with a big blue line in the middle of the street. All you had to do was follow it to reach the main square. Smart!
The road took me through some nice neighborhoods…much nicer than those I’ve seen while in Mexico City with the circus. I’m sure with a bunch of tourists regularly passing though the area extra efforts are taken to keep the “blue line” clean. There was also a strong police presence, and volunteer Q&A folks standing on almost every street corner to help you find your destination or recommend places to see/eat. It was really very well-planned. Still, in the market areas there were a lot of vendors and hawkers trying to rope tourists into spending money. I made sure to wear my crew ID in a prominent place. While my clothes and blindingly white skin may scream “tourist”, the crew card screams “don’t waste your breath heckling this person” haha.
First I visited the big historic cathedral near the center of town. I have seen it from a distance every time we’re in port and have been wanting to go check it out. It was beautiful.
Construction began in 1856 on the site of an ancient Indian temple. One notable feature found in this cathedral are the stained glass windows, many of which feature a Star of David. The reason for the incorporation of the Jewish religious symbol is unclear, but legend has it that the stars were included as a token of gratitude for a donation made to the church by Mazatlan’s Jewish community.
(photo courtesy colonialmexicoinsideandout.com)
A few blocks away from the cathedral was a large open-air market. It was very crowded and nothing jumped out at me from the usual selection of touristy knickknacks, so after a quick walk-through I moved on to a bread store. I wanted to eat everything but exercised self-control.
Back in the “blue line” plaza, I ran into the band ladies having some drinks together. They were pretty much finished and heading their separate ways by the time I got there. Jane (boss, pianist) and I went searching for wifi and coffee and found it just a block away at a nice coffee shop called Allegro. We chilled there and enjoyed an Americano and some pulled pork sandwiches while checking our email and social media. I don’t get to spend a whole lot of one-on-one time with Jane because she’s so dang busy…as the Music Manager she’s in charge of all the musicians on the ship, plus she has to perform, and that’s a LOT of work. It was nice to have a nice quiet hang with her :)
When we were finished I decided to return to the ship as it looked like rain. I had lunch and started some laundry. Stacey came back soon after to have a shower and prepare for the evening production show (the horns aren’t involved in that) so I hung out in the crew bar, typing this post and enjoying some decaf tea so that she could have the cabin to herself for a bit. Then dinner and some anime, and some planning for tomorrow.
We’ll be back in Vallarta. I have IPM duty, but Stacey has graciously agreed to stand in for me in the morning (she says she’ll be asleep anyway) while I scoot over to the mall for the internet. In the evening we have shows with our next guest entertainer.
11/28
It was pouring in Vallarta!
After a bit of hesitation I decided to go to the mall anyway. I need to be looking for jobs, and since I only have free and reliable internet for a few select ports for a few select hours, I need to take advantage of that regardless how inconvenient it may be sometimes. I got to the mall soaking wet...but hey, it's just water.
Also...I was going to refrain from saying anything derogatory about passengers. But GEEZ. There were so many people whining about the rain, and demanding that they receive covered escort to and from the ship, and on and on about how "This is ridiculous!". My goodness people, bless your hearts.
Anyway, I was at the mall for a few hours looking for jobs and typing this blog. I returned to the ship and cleaned myself up, had lunch, and practiced for our show with Jamie Crockart tonight. It's a rock/soul show, should be fun!
And it was :)
The next two days are sea days. I'm hoping it won't be as rough as last time, but with the way the weather is right now, who knows.
11/29
The seas were indeed a bit rough today. I had a nice breakfast and decided to hit the gym right away because if it was going to get any worse I might make excuses about falling off the elliptical or something.
After the gym we had a rehearsal for the Voice, then I had lunch and spent some time reading in a stairwell near midship. You see my room is forward, in the prow of the ship, and the plunging motion there is pretty strong.
Around 3:30 I went to the medical center just to ask what they’ve got available for motion sickness. They don’t do the patch here because of the side effects, but they had some Meclazine sitting in a big box, free to grab for all crew. I took a handful, went up to the guest buffet for some snacks, and took one of the pills about an hour before our first show of the evening.
We had three shows with Bryan Cheatham and all went well. His music has been really fun to play, and he’s a pleasure to work with.
After the shows we were all pretty tired, and the ship was plunging quite a bit harder. There are gale-force winds and 13ft waves! At the risk of motion sickness I’ll try to get some footage tomorrow because it’s pretty impressive to see the ship break through the waves. My medicine worked quite well and I’ll definitely be taking it again tomorrow. Just lying in bed the motion is extremely strong, and tomorrow is supposed to be the worst of it.
11/30
It’s the last day of November, holy crap! Just one month and nineteen days until I get to see Jameson! :D
Today was ROUGH. Just walking around the ship was a struggle, especially near the prow. After taking a great deal of motion sickness medication I went out on deck to get some footage.
https://instagram.com/p/Bq1FWu8A9qBFor most of the day I stayed in a crew stairwell near midship. The rocking motion was less pronounced near the middle of the ship. Nia (trumpet) was struggling with motion sickness as well, I felt horrible for her. How the heck are you supposed to open your throat and lift your diaphragm and blow into an instrument when you can't stop retching?? But whatever, we all made it through the evening shows.
I'm trying to sleep but the motion of the ship makes it hard. Tomorrow, I just wanna get off this boat as soon as possible.
01/12
I got off the boat as soon as possible.
Walked to Sacred Grounds to post this blog and take care of updating my devices. Next I'll walk a few blocks to Hojas for some food, some awesome tea, and hopefully to do some job applications and another project I've been working on.
This week was fun, but that last day at sea was awful. I really hope the weather improves from here on out. But I'm also very grateful for whoever invented motion sickness remedies.
