Mazatlan, Mexico

So, I spent the first week of my travels in Mazatlan, Mexico. I went with most of my roommates from my house back in Seattle and we stayed in the Mayan Palace, a really nice hotel just outside of town. We got a deal on it through Abel's parents, so it ended up being just over 100 dollars each for the entire week.

Mazatlan was a pretty nice city, but it was very touristy. About 55% of the city's income comes from tourism, and I think the city was about 700,000 people. There were huge hotels and resorts everywhere and lots of guided tours, activities, etc. It was fun, but it didn't feel like we were really part of the city or the culture there - more just outsiders coming in occasionally for tours and stuff. Overal though, I had a good time.

Here are a few pics from the trip:














I didn't end up taking too many pictures here in Mexico since everyone else was as well, so these aren't super interesting or anything, but I'll keep on posting as I continue my travels.

Leaving Tomorrow

I've decided to make this travel blog where I can post photos and updates on my travels as I go. Here is my itinerary:

March 20 - Mazatlan, Mexico
March 28 - Lima, Peru
April 11 - Santiago, Chile
April 18 - Buenos Aires, Argentina
May 2 - Madrid, Spain
June 3 - Hong Kong, China (flying from Rome)
June 17 - Return to Rome
July 15 - Fly back to Seattle

Should be a pretty crazy trip! If any of you guys are in Europe or S. America during these times, get in contact with me and we should meet up!