Here’s the link: http://www.mexico-update.com/

If you’re mainly interested in Mazatlan, here’s the video they published on YouTube with testimonials from people in Mazatlan. It’s a little cheesy, but the people’s comments do reflect the real love that people have for Mazatlan.

The video is long – over 10 minutes, with testimonials from lots of different people.

The “Mexico Update” site also has video testimonials from other parts of Mexico, a FAQ page with info about safety in Mexico, and an updates page which compiles articles about vacation in Mexico that come out in the press.

It’s actually the Mexico Kitchen forum on the MexicoConnect website:

http://www.mexconnect.com/cgi-bin/forums/gforum.cgi?post=126005;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;guest=9197386

Read through the threads to get intriguing info on the history and traditions behind different Mexican dishes, or search the forum to find tips on a specific recipe you’d like to make. Any cook who likes Mexican food is certain to find lots of inspiration.

Jennifer from MexScape describes what Independence Day is like in Mazatlan. There are two parts: the “Grito” on the night of Sep 15th, and a celebration during the day of Sep 16.

Here’s Jennifer’s description of the “Grito” in Mazatlan (the “shout” for independence, in which Mexicans remember the original call to independence by the priest Miguel Hidalgo):

It happens in Plaza Republica across from the Catedral. Lots of people, lots of shouting, lots of fireworks, lots of fun. Last year, we could hear the cries of ¡Viva México! from our house. The shout usually happens at 10:00 pm.

It’s interesting – the “grito” happens at 10:00pm in Mazatlan in order to coordinate with the official “grito” at 11:00pm in Mexico City, due to the 1 hour time difference.

Nancy at “Countdown To Mexico” does a great job of documenting the big parade to celebrate Sep 16th. “Pretty much every school in Mazatlán was represented” in the parade, together with “many groups of the armed services, including  a mess wagon complete with cooks, a display of technology with a huge flat screen monitor with hurricane info displayed, combat soldiers, and a number of old fire trucks that had been donated to the city from the US and Canada, mostly through the Rotary.”

Nancy’s post is great because it has a lot of great photos from the parade and of the mayor and all the other officials.

Andres Oppenheimer, a well-known journalist on Latin America, wrote an excellent article based on his own experience with a medical emergency in Mexico City:

MEXICO CITY — For several years, this column has championed the idea that Mexico — and Latin America in general — could become a huge medical tourism destination for millions of Americans seeking more affordable healthcare, or simply wanting more personalized medical attention.

Little did I know that I would be hospitalized for three weeks in Mexico City last month and experience a foreign country’s medical system from the inside.

Before we get into my experience, let’s take a quick look at why I have maintained that the globalization of medical services will become an increasingly useful option for Americans who can’t afford ever-increasing U.S. healthcare costs, and a major business opportunity for countries in the region.

U.S. medical tourism to Latin America — India, Singapore and other Asian countries as well — is growing at an annual rate of nearly 20 percent, according to most estimates.

About 180,000 Americans are crossing borders every year for medical procedures such as knee and hip replacements, health screenings or oral surgeries, said Josef Woodman, author of Patients Beyond Borders.

In addition, 400,000 Americans go abroad for ”wellness travel” or ”alternative therapies,” which would bring the total to about 580,000.

Milika Bookman, author of Medical Tourism in Developing Countries, estimates that tiny Costa Rica alone attracts as many as 150,000 medical tourists a year, most of them Americans.

The reasons behind the slow-motion exodus of American patients from the United States is simple: About 45 million Americans lack health insurance, and another 30 million are underinsured. In addition, many others who have insurance go abroad for cosmetic surgeries that are not covered by their U.S. insurance.

Costs for medical procedures are radically lower outside the U.S., so from a financial perspective it just makes sense to seek healthcare outside the U.S. for major procedures not covered by insurance.

Does it make sense in terms of your health as well? Will you actually get quality health care outside the U.S? Or will you get what you pay for, and suffer the rest of your life because of a poorly done medical procedure?

Oppenheimer writes that he not only received good quality health care in medical terms, he actually received much warmer and more personal care than in any U.S. hospital. This matches the experience of many who have sought health care abroad.

There are caveats, because not all health care abroad is of good quality. But by carefully seeking quality care, you can receive excellent treatment at a much more affordable price.

Mazatlan is one destination for medical tourism. Mazatlan does have excellent medical care available, as attested to by the many expatriates who live there, and even by tourists who have needed emergency medical care.

Here an example of one person’s experience with emergency care in Mazatlan:

First hand experiance here: Wife had a stroke. Called Red Cross ambulance. Arrived within 5 minutes. Excellent paramedics, and one of them spoke English. I told him a) I thought she was having a stroke, and b) Take her to Sharpe Hosp. When we got to Sharpe an outstanding specialist was there. Immediately diagnosed a stroke and began medicatiion. Stayed in hosp 3 days, EKG, blood tests, cat scan, MRI, X-rays, private room (cleaned twice a day) specialist doctor visited twice a day. No paralysis from stroke. I give Red Cross ambulance and Sharpe hospital highest marks. Oh yes, cost was less than $2,000.00 US for everything, doctor, ambulance, tests, medication, etc.

(from a thread in the Mazatlan forum on TripAdvisor)

Here’s another example of people’s experience with medical care, a recommendation of one of the local doctors by some expatriates living in Mazatlan:

Dr. Huerta just (Spring 2004) opened his new office, right next door to BanNorte, across from the Sharp Hospital. The address is Rafael Buelna #300. He practices internal medicine, and had a great and caring bedside manner. Recently, during a routine medical checkup, he found a brain tumor in a friend of ours, that currently had no symptoms. He caught it so early, that the treatment turned out to me of an inconvenience rather than a life threatening procedure. He also runs a small hospital called Cruz Oro, with much lower prices than Sharp Hospital, but still good quality care. You can contact him at his office at 984-1507 or 986-5631, or via his cell phone at 044-669-918-1926.

(from the resources page of maztravel.com)

The most recommended hospital for quality medical care in Mazatlan is Sharp Hospital.

That’s good advice! Some people go a little overboard, though. For example, I once had a friend who in order to avoid problems brought a package of Pepto-Bismol tablets with him, and he took one a day to make sure he wouldn’t have diarrhea. All I can say is that he certainly didn’t have diarrhea, but we also had to wait for him a _long_ time whenever he went to the bathroom!

A much better suggestion is to take acidophilus tablets, which build up the good bacteria in your digestive system and help your body to fight off any infection in the water or food that you consume. It’s actually better to start taking the acidophilus a few days before you arrive.

Another alternative is to get a product that the Mexicans use. It’s called “Yakult,” and it’s a milk product that has a high concentration of the good bacteria in it – sort of like concentrated yogurt cultures or something. The advantage is that it gives very quick results – it’s much more immediate than taking acidophilus tablets – and can help your digestive system to recover if you do start to have stomach trouble. Yakult is the most famous brand, but there are several equivalent products available in Mexican supermarkets – “Lalacult” and “Chamyto” are two that I remember.

Anyway, there’s our tip for avoiding stomach problems on your vacation in a positive way!

Here’s the link to search the WestJet flight schedules.

Of course, some factors are universal – the economy affects tourism everywhere, not just Mazatlan. And the rising cost of plane tickets actually gives Mazatlan, and Mexico in general, an advantage over the rest of the world that is farther away from the U.S.

However, the violence in Mazatlan, which has been getting quite a lot of press, is a Mazatlan-specific problem. And the cold weather last winter, which greatly reduces the attraction of Mazatlan for travelers from up north, is also specific to Mazatlan. So Mazatlan, maybe more than other tourist destinations in Mexico, is probably in for some particularly tough times.

For some excellent discussion of this topic, see this thread in the TripAdvisor Forums.

Escaping to Paradise – Vacations at “El Rancho” Beach Resort in Mazatlan