![\"Definitely](\"http:\/\/charlottamiles.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/02\/1-1280x960.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nDefinitely fluff! Hanging out a bit at the Pueblo Bonito Resort in Mazatlan.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nIan and Ned playing a little beach Frisbee<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nThe beach outside our Best Western Hotel<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nA little beachside serenade while sitting at the Best Western poolside bar\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nSunset parasailing \u2013 another view from the Best Western<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nIan and Susan left the posh Pueblo Bonito to visit us at our Best Western, where Ian demonstrated that he can walk on water.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/a><\/p>\nThe city of Mazatlan encourages \u201cart graffiti\u201d and we enjoyed these little finds while exploring the city.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Lots of unusual sculptures lined the Malecon, the beachside walkway in Mazatlan.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n More beach sculpture\u2026?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Wait\u2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Oh!!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Ok, I\u2019ll admit, we did have to bribe him with 100 pesos ($8) to do the dive, but it was worth it for the photos, right?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Local markets\u2026one of my favorite parts of international travel\u2026this one did not disappoint!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Designed by a prot\u00e9g\u00e9e of Eiffel (Eiffel Tower), the structure of this big open-air market is vaguely familiar.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n This market had it all, energy, color, clothing, food, and it was totally clean (unlike some third world markets).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n This market was a foodie paradise!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Notice more of the Eiffelesque structural design.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n There were even stalls with canned goods\u2026beautifully displayed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Dulces\u2026candy!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The bulk aisle\u2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Apologies to the vegetarians for the next few\u2026but you just have to see this stuff.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The best thing about travel is that it takes us out of our comfort zones\u2026 We did think the poor guy was kind of cute, though.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Enjoying Mazatlan was a surprise. It was a gift given to us by time; a gift of vagabond living and an unplanned future, but camping mode is, of course, much more natural for us. We love it. Living on the road, out of the bus is so very basic. Life boils down to just a few important things like navigation, food, fuel, water and safe places to camp. In the back country our minds are sharper and more focused on survival, we observe vivid landscapes with breathtaking acuity, and daily routines are more like daily rituals.<\/p>\n Just for fun, I thought I would offer a peek into some of our \u201cSmelly Bus\u201d rituals. Ned thinks this is all TMI, so feel free to skip this and go right to the photos if you think so too!<\/p>\n Hygiene:<\/p>\n Like I said, when out in the wilderness it\u2019s about the basics. We have the capacity to carry 13 gallons of water. Five in our water dispenser jug, three in a spare jug, and another five gallon jug in a cabinet under our \u201ckitchen counter\u201d with a hand pump to dispense into a large stainless salad bowl. Needless to say, conservation is critical, and water for consumption is king.<\/p>\n Teeth (Usually done outside):<\/p>\n Floss Ourselves:<\/p>\n Use lots of baby wipes Dishes:<\/p>\n Use one or two half paper towel sheets to wipe off food from pots and dishes Laundry:<\/p>\n Some of you may not want to hear this, but we do wear the same clothes for an (untold) number of days (we only have each other to smell, after all!). Exercise:<\/p>\n Staying fit on the road takes a bit of creativity along with the normal discipline. We have with us, exercise bands, a jump rope and a telescoping pull-up bar that Ned fabricated onto our roof rack. Believe it or not, we are better at this while camping than in a hotel room, but we try daily to do our posture exercises and stretches, 100-plus squats and lunges, push-ups, triceps dips, pull-ups, hanging abdominal work (from the pull-up bar) and some resistance work with the bands or with local rocks. We also get the occasional run or hike in. In general we are not quite as fit as we are at home, but we\u2019re doing alright considering the circumstances (yeah, ok, we\u2019re getting a little soft!)<\/p>\n Looking back over the last five weeks, I\u2019ve been spooked a couple of times, but everything has really gone well. The weather has been incredibly good, and with the exception of the two hundred or so sand-flea bites we are each suffering through right now (that\u2019s a story for next time!) we both feel good. We also agree that of all the vehicles we considered taking on this trip, the set-up we have with Charlotte has been ideal. No other vehicle would have had as good a ride on bumpy roads, have been as nimble for driving down tiny cobblestone streets, have been inconspicuous for stealth camping, have been non-threatening at military checkpoints, nor would have been nearly as comfortable. We feel like everything is perfectly \u201cdialed.\u201d We have everything we need and nothing we don\u2019t need, and it\u2019s not only accessible enough, but it all fits without bouncing, rattling or coming loose on rough tracks. We do miss our friends and family, but neither of us wishes for anything different.<\/p>\n Our favorite way to stock up on water is through Agua Purificadoras (water purification stations) when we can find them. These are government run, use state-of-the-art equipment and for about 25 cents we can refill all 13 gallons\u2026and they thoroughly wash our containers too!\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Wilderness tooth brushing 101\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Wilderness workouts\u2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Things that we took for granted at home but are scarce out here: working internet, showers with hot water and pressure and clean bathrooms with paper products, soap and toilet seats! (this one had one, it just wasn\u2019t installed).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Things we find in abundance here but are rare at home: A handshake and well wishes from the guy who pumps your gas, warm smiles and waves from locals as you drive by and people who spontaneously wash your car without being asked. We parked Charlotte on a side street in old town Mazatlan to go exploring. When we retuned, this young man was enthusiastically soaping up a very dirty Charlotte. She soon sparkled, and we paid him a few pesos for his efforts.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" After five weeks and 4,000 miles on the road, I thought it would be fun to not only report on Mazatlan, but also to check in on how we are doing and what this vagabond life is like on a … Continue reading <\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n
\nDispense toothpaste on brush
\nBrush teeth
\nPour a little water from stainless drinking bottle to rinse brush
\nRinse mouth with two mouthfuls from drinking bottle
\nIf too many bugs outside or being stealth in a parking lot, this can be done in our \u201ckitchen sink\u201d<\/p>\n
\nIf water stores are good, a sponge bath is a nice luxury
\nUse lots of baby wipes<\/p>\n
\nDrizzle small amount of biodegradable soap into a pot
\nAdd one half to one cup of water and heat on Coleman stove
\nUse another half paper towel sheet to wash pot
\nTransfer hot soapy water to other pots\/and or use to wash up dishes
\nOffer the hot soapy water to the one not doing dishes for hand washing
\nDump out soapy water and set soapy paper towel aside to wipe up table later
\nUse another half paper towel sheet to wipe off soapy water from all dishes
\nRation out another half to one cup of clean water to rinse dishes
\nUse final half paper towel sheet to wipe dry
\nWait for diarrhea\u2026just kidding!<\/p>\n
\nWhen in towns, for a few bucks a load, we have very nice local people do our laundry.
\nSmall amounts of laundry can also be done while taking showers in hotel rooms.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n