Did you ever have a certain spot you visited on vacation where your mind seems to drift from time to time when you return home…. ? For us that would be a small cafe in Mazatlan, Mexico….The Looney Bean….Nothing special–just a neighborhood coffee-house–a hole-in-the-wall, or actually one in a series of holes-in-the-wall that stretch down a sandy stretch of shops, empty storefronts, and restaurants that make up a “Mexican strip-mall” at the end of the Playa Bruja area north of Mazatlan….This is “down and dirty” Mexico–and I don’t mean that pejoratively–this is just a practical, modest neighborhood shopping and eating area….I’m just trying to paint you a picture here….one that’s accurate, and captures the true charm of this place….No fountains with plazas….No valet parking….No landscaping–unless you consider the occasional palm weed or Bougainvillea bush coming up through the cracks in the sidewalk….So I think you’ve got the picture….If not, above is a snapshot I took of the seafood restaurant at the end of the shopping center, which overlooks the Ocean….And in case you’re still romanticizing this place–it’s sandy sidewalks, tarps for roof repair, and a lot of duct tape on all the small fishing boats in sight….But then that’s the charm–at least for us and everyone else who enjoy something for what it is–not what it’s trying to be….
So back to the Looney Bean….Our Favorite Coffee Shop….Like all of the shops, it opens onto a tile-roof-covered walking arcade–All OPEN….just a big garage door to close off the shop at night….Each day when they open for business, they open up the big garage door and pull out the coffee tables, chairs, and rocking chairs….So you can sit and enjoy your coffee under the covered arcade….The Owner is great….she’s American….and she comes down each year from Klamath Falls for the season–I think from September until March or so….She’s done a great job fixing up the place so it’s clean and comfortable….a relaxed, happy atmosphere….But probably the best part is what they do for the community….They are involved with a local church, and they provide higher education in exchange for jobs for the local kids–high school age and older….So you will be served by a local kid who is getting an education funded by the coffee you just bought from them….That makes the whole experience even better!
The Looney Bean is the halfway stop in our morning walk when we are in Mazatlan….It takes us about 45 minutes walking at a pretty good pace to get there….we usually open up the place….enjoy our morning coffee, relax, talk with the owner, relax some more….and then head back….Aaaaaah, Vacation….That’s one of the best things about vacations–You can close your eyes, take a deep breath, and take yourself back there….at least for a few minutes….
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