We arrived Christmas day in Mazatlan and thankfully our Zip Line shore excursion was not cancelled. Several people learned of a last minute cancellation due to the holiday and were scrambling to find something to do but we got lucky. It was interesting cruising into Mazatlan first thing on a holiday morning because the port was almost totally silent. I could actually hear roosters cawing from the hills behind the port and I thought I would never get to see the town so quiet except for this day.

Because we were at dock it was MUCH easier getting off the boat and we got on the tour bus and headed into the mountains. It was nice seeing the countryside and unlike Cabo this city was less about tourists. When we arrived at the location we got a safety briefing and they zipped us into the harness. I went zip lining in Puerto Rico many years ago but this was Lee’s first time. Since it was Christmas Day I brought extra cash for tips and when the guide or put us together received a $20 he was genuinely grateful. Later we learned that $20 is considered an outstanding tip[ and $5 is the minimum. Throughout the day I gave $110 because I really appreciated them giving up their Christmas for us. 

We rode up a dirt path to get to the base of the hill and climbed a steep path to get to the top. That final stretch was no joke but we were warned this was strenuous and they weren’t kidding. At the top we got another safety briefing and then waited in line for our turn. We were near the back of the line and it took almost 45 minutes to get to us but once it started it was really fun. I will say this was a bit harder than when I did it 15 years ago but the basics were the same. 

We were high above an agave farm and there were huge saguaro cacti directly beneath us at some points. Intellectually I knew if I fell I was screwed anyways but the cacti freaked me out a little. The team did a nice job and we ended up with a small group of people which included David, Cori, and their 12 year old son Finn. Finn was fearless and such a great kid, I can only hope my grandsons are like him. Actually one of the best things about the excursions is you meet people and later on the ship you see them. We saw Finn almost every day after this trip and he always had a smile for us.

The only part I didn’t like was at the very end they had us repel down a big tree. It took a long time and I didn’t feel nearly as safe was when we were on the zip lines.

Afterwards we had a “snack” of an apple and 1/2 a cheese quesadilla which was delicious but not super filling and then we went to the Tequila ranch house. Because it was Christmas they didn’t do a tour and this part felt like an after thought. I did do a tasting and bought a couple of bottles and purchased a couple of souvenirs but it was a bit anti climatic. The best part was when we got back to port there were tons of shops open and they had by far the best prices we saw anywhere.

I should probably mention sunsets here because one of the cool thing about being on a boat is you can watch the sunset every night. We liked going to the Helipad because we had a 360 degree view but we ended up watching them from all over. I haven’t seen sunsets this gorgeous since we were in Tampa Florida many years ago. They were amazing. None of these photos are color enhanced in anyway and don’t come close to capturing the beauty.

We very much appreciate your support of our blog.

• You can purchase the ebook telling the story of how we became full-time RVers.
• You can purchase our recipe book filled with 80 recipes we have cooked in our RV and taste tested by Lee himself. You can purchase the kindle or paperback version on Amazon or buy the Apple version on Itunes