马萨特兰第三周 – Third Week in Mazatlán

2025年3月31日到4月6日 马萨特兰工作之旅第三周

March 31 to April 6, 2025｜Third Week of the Work Trip in Mazatlán

忽然一天早上醒来，几乎所有的鸟儿都消失了，这一周也没有再回来；清晨坐在阳台上，边喝茶边看它们俯冲入海、捕鱼翻腾的乐趣，也仿佛随它们一同远去；空气中少了鸣叫，海面上少了掠影；最合理的解释，也许是它们已经踏上迁徙之路，飞往另一片遥远的大海，去追随季节的召唤。剩下了一些留守的鹈鹕和军舰鸟，依旧在风中缓缓盘旋，一波波拍岸的浪花，和带着咸意的海风，在无声中陪伴着清晨的空旷。

One morning, we woke up to find that almost all the birds had vanished. They didn’t return the entire week. The joy of sipping tea on the balcony each morning while watching them dive into the sea and stir up splashes in search of fish seemed to have disappeared along with them.

The air had lost its song; the sky and sea their fluttering silhouettes. The most reasonable explanation, perhaps, is that they’ve set off on their migratory journey, flying toward another distant ocean, answering the quiet call of the seasons. A few remaining pelicans and frigate birds still circled slowly in the wind, the last sentinels of this stretch of coast. Waves continued to break against the shore, and the salty breeze lingered in silence—companions to a morning now tinged with emptiness, as if marking a subtle but profound farewell.

周六上午，我们乘坐一艘小船，穿过与马萨特兰市区之间的水道，去了名为“石头岛”的小岛。船程不过两三分钟，转眼便抵达。上岛后却发现四下寂静，几乎没有游客，沿岸一排排空荡荡的餐厅，仿佛在等待一场未至的热闹。不难想象，在旺季时这里应是喧嚣热闹的景象。我们沿着海滩徒步了一会儿，阳光明媚，海风轻拂，却难掩单调，无聊的氛围。没多久便决定返回，重新坐船回到了市区。

On Saturday morning, we took a small boat across the waterway separating Stone Island from the city of Mazatlán. The ride lasted only two or three minutes, and in no time, we arrived. But once ashore, we were met with silence—hardly any tourists in sight. A row of empty seaside restaurants stood quietly, as if waiting for the rush of visitors that never come. One could easily imagine the buzz and energy this place must have during peak season.

We strolled along the beach for a while under the bright sun, with the sea breeze gently brushing past, but the atmosphere felt undeniably flat and uneventful. It wasn’t long before we decided to turn back and took the boat back to the city.

晚餐时分，我们又一次去了黄金区域，那里依旧没什么新意。尽管是周六，最热闹的地段也显得冷冷清清。于是我们叫了辆 Uber，去了我提前找到的一家德州奥斯汀式烧烤餐厅，心里充满期待，想着换换口味，摆脱一下单调的墨西哥菜。可惜，烧烤上桌后让人失望——肉质干柴，味道也平平无奇，完全没有预想中的浓香四溢。或许这顿饭最大的亮点，是餐厅里表演的那支乐队，算是意外的小惊喜。

At dinner time, we headed once again to the Golden Zone, but it was just as uninspiring as before. Even on a Saturday night, the busiest areas felt oddly quiet. So we grabbed an Uber and went to a Texas-style Austin BBQ restaurant I had found earlier, hoping to break away from the monotony of Mexican food.

We arrived, full of anticipation, but unfortunately, the meal was a letdown—the meat was dry, the flavor bland, far from the rich, smoky taste we had imagined. Perhaps the best part of the evening was the live band playing at the restaurant—a small, unexpected surprise that somewhat made up for the disappointing dinner.

黄金区域里的一家贝壳商店，里面有非常多品种的贝壳 – A shell shop in the Golden Zone, filled with an impressive variety of seashells.

周日，是我们在马萨特兰的最后一个周日。这天决定走出游客熟悉的路线，去记录一些隐藏在光鲜亮丽表象背后的真实面貌：废弃破败的老房子、坑坑洼洼的人行道、街角随处可见的狗屎……这些不那么美好的细节，才是一座城市生活气息最直接的表达。我们沿着那些游客不会踏足的街道徒步了两个多小时，街头荒凉而真实。这些画面没有滤镜，没有刻意修饰，更贴近城市的本质——在光鲜背后，那些不被凝视的角落，同样构成了生活的全部。

Sunday marked our last Sunday in Mazatlán. We decided to step off the well-worn tourist path and explore the more honest side of the city—abandoned, crumbling houses, cracked and uneven sidewalks, and dog droppings scattered across street corners. These less picturesque details are often the most direct expression of a city’s everyday reality.

We walked for over two hours through neighborhoods where tourists rarely go. The streets felt deserted, but also deeply real. These scenes had no filters, no curated charm—just the raw texture of daily life. Behind the polished facades, it’s these overlooked corners that truly make up the whole of a place.

看到了一个天主教堂，建筑风格很独特 – We came across a Catholic church with a uniquely striking architectural style.

After our experience of the worn down streets, we ventured back into the old town.

下午我们去海边坐了一会儿，迎着海风，看着几只珍贵的鹈鹕在海面上悠然飞翔，静静享受这段闲适的午后时光。

In the afternoon, we sat by the sea for a while, letting the ocean breeze wash over us, watching a few rare pelicans glide gracefully above the water, quietly enjoying a peaceful and unhurried moment.

这是某人自抵达马萨特兰以来第一次下海（也许是因为另一个人不太喜欢水？） – It was someone’s first time going into the ocean since arriving in Mazatlán. (Maybe because someone else doesn’t like the water)?

我们会好好享受在这里的最后一周，但也期待回去后能吃到更合口味的食物，还有我们熟悉的周六晚家常料理！

We will enjoy our final week here, but look forward to returning to food we can enjoy more and to our regular Saturday night cooking!