Casa de Leyendas

Glenn and I decided that since we would be here in Mazatlan for a week waiting for the owner’s wife and her friends, we would take the opportunity to get off the boat for a couple of days and experience Mexico. I think the owner was ready to have some alone time and he rapidly agreed to our request.

We realized rather quickly that there was not enough time to go off to another town or city because we needed to be back in about 48 hours so we started looking at hotels here locally. Glenn looked at some big beachfront monstrosities online but neither of us could summon much enthusiasm for a beachfront room with 2000 of our closest friends. 

Instead we looked at www.bbonline.com for bed and breakfasts here in Mazatlan. I have used this site many times over the years and have always been happy with the choices. Up popped a site for Casa de Leyendas in the historical section of town. I emailed them regarding availability and received a reply saying that the room I chose was available. Yeah!!! We are going on vacation (we were excited because we haven’t been off the boat since September).

After doing some last minute cleaning and maintenance, Glenn and I were ready to depart. The owner had his pool towel card and restaurant discount card for the hotel and the Boat Services number (Room Service for the boats. We are staying in the marina associated with the hotel so we get some privlidges) so he was all set.

We arrived at Casa de Leyendas around 11am and were met by the owner’s, Sharon and Glenn. She gave us a tour, explained the honor bar system and then showed us to our room.  

The place is beautiful. It is 8000 square feet with 6 guest rooms, a roof-top patio area, a courtyard with a small pool and fountain, a second story lounge area with a TV and a computer, another patio area on that level as well as another partially covered lounge area with a chaise and some chairs, a beautiful kitchen, a formal dining area and a somewhat formal living room on the ground floor. It was once the home of a prominent doctor/politician and his family.

 Before the house was built it was the location for the gold depository in Mazatlan. Sharon said that there are still people who insist that there is gold under the foundation. I wonder if people show up at night and start digging? 

Our room had a private bath, a loveseat, a desk and chair, a huge armoir, a little refrigerator and a GIGANTIC BED!!! Complete with goose down pillow top. It was a total “smush bed” as Glenn put it. The decor was kind of a traditional rich Mexican colored theme… clay and bright blue and almost a magenta color, tile floors, and a mosaic tile shower.

Hanging on one wall was what I thought was a big Rastafarian Wooly Mammoth. Sharon said it was actually a piece of yarn art that she found in Guadalajara and fell in love with. Whatever it was, it was really cool.

Our room opened up onto a balcony that overlooked the central courtyard and the huge windows opened up onto the upstairs patio.

I don’t think that we could have picked a better place.

That was later confirmed when Glenn realized that the Canadian satellite system had a channel that showed hockey games. Guess what we did for 2 nights?!?

There were spa services available at B&B so I booked a massage for Glenn for the first night. Nothing like a quick dinner, some hockey and a massage to start out our vacation. I actually showed some restraint and didn’t book a pedicure or a massage or a facial… hmmm… what was I thinking?

Glenn (the owner) is a golfer and recommended a new service that they were helping to promote. It was a golf tour that picked you up at the B&B, took you to one of two courses where you played 18 holes. It included cart and club rentals, roundtrip airconditioned ride, beverages and even some much needed golf tips for me.

Needless to say, Glenn and I were sold. We were picked up at 10:30am the next morning for 18 holes at Campuestre. Nathan, the tour guide and owner, proved to be a talkative fellow who regaled us with stories of life in Mexico. He is a transplanted Canadian who after much deliberation and planning made the move to Mazatlan. After attempting a safe business, which failed, he decided to open the only golf tour business in town. We were number 6 or 7 and he is still refining his services.

The course was perfect for Glenn and I because we could golf in t-shirts, shorts and flip flops. It is really a locals course, where everyone owns their carts and is relatively inexpensive. There is grass in the sandtraps and sand on the fairways as well as a creek that seems to meander through every hole on the course. I lost 3 balls to the stupid thing but managed to recover 3 more that I thought for sure were gone. Glenn only lost 1 but then he is a much better golfer than I.

To put it quite honestly, I suck!!! I average about 200 strokes on 18 holes. I know, I know, the high stroke count is not a bragging point. But let’s face it, when you are as bad as I am… you have to brag about something. Glenn thought that my game might have improved from the last time we played in Hawaii because I was wearing my glasses.

NOPE… I still suck.

Glenn and Nathan kept giving me pointers to no avail. By 15 holes I had had enough. I had walked about 20 miles on a 5 mile course because what is the point of riding in the cart for only 20 yards at a time. I was sweaty, dirty from spending way too much time in the sandtraps and cranky. Definitely time to call it quits.

I will say that I had one very short-lived moment of brilliance. I ended up one over par on one of the holes. I actually did better than the 2 of them. The planets must have been aligned… the moon turned blue… and I used up every good karma point I ever had… but it was worth it to lord it over them for a few seconds. 

Glenn and Nathan finished the last 3 holes, very quickly with me just driving the cart, and we were whisked back to the B&B in time for a shower, a nap, some fabulous pizza and HOCKEY!! It was a great, if a little frustrating, way to spend the day. 

(During our lunch break of $2.30 hamburgers and fries at the clubhouse, I decided to call the owner and see how he was doing. He answered the phone by saying… “How much is the bail?” Obviously, he was doing just fine.)

We got up this morning, had another good breakfast and checked out of the B&B and checked back into reality. We were back on the boat by noon, just in time to head to the pool for some sun, libations and snacks. Oh yeah, and some really good people and iguana watching.