Here is a review by Eric Streit. Television producer and resident of Mazatlán

 

                                     MAZATLAN IN LITERATURE

                                                      Eric Streit

 

                         Mañana Doesn’t Mean Tomorrow

                            A Wild and Crazy True-Life Adventure in Mexico

 

                                       By David Kindopp (published 2011)

 

 

This epic saga begins in 1989 when a 40-something gringo, experiencing a mid-life crisis, career burnout and a failed marriage, purchases a 40-foot sailboat and sets sail for Mazatlán.

 

After decades jockeying a desk in a real estate office, David’s dream is to cast off the bonds of his oppressive middle-class American lifestyle, throw caution to the wind and live a life of adventure along the Tropic of Cancer, where he will provide sailboat cruises to gringo tourists for $35 a pop.

 

The fact that he is an inexperienced sailor and only took the boat out once for sailing lessons in the San Francisco Bay before embarking on an ambitious journey from San Francisco to Mazatlán is but a minor detail that doesn’t dampen his enthusiasm.

 

David sets sail on a 40-year-old rattletrap he is neither licensed nor qualified to sail with a beautiful blonde, Kathleen, whom he’s met only once for a few hours in a bar, with only $750 dollars in his pocket. What could possibly go wrong?

 

EVERYTHING. Literally, everything goes wrong. 

A huge storm nearly sinks them, and chunks break off the engine before they make it to Cabo. But when the engine conks out and the sails won’t catch the wind; the refrigerator still works, and there’s no shortage of beer and chardonnay. They limp into Cabo and must wait several days to get replacement parts.

 

Miraculously, near-death experiences leave Kindopp undeterred, and he continues onward to Mazatlán, along with his lovely companion who inexplicably stays with him for reasons that are never explained nor understood.

 

It is no exaggeration to say that this book - and David’s life - seem to be fueled entirely by boundless enthusiasm, a sense of adventure, and Jimmy Buffet’s Greatest Hits. 

 

Within hours of arriving in Mazatlán, frustrated with the series of unfortunate events plaguing what was supposed to be a breezy, carefree, fun-filled adventure, Kathleen sums up her thoughts, fueled by beer, wine and tequila: 

 

“You spent all your money on a boat before you get out of the states, to arrive in Mazatlán where your only prospect is a sloppy partner who owns a few beat up, junky fishing boats. You’re gonna eke out a living taking tourists out sailing for $35 each on a four-hour tour? Gimme a break!  I’ve never heard anything so stupid!”

 

Kathleen is soon on a flight out of Mazatlán and David’s life forever. Bowed but not broken, David pushes onward, his dream undeterred by her cutting words, which he knows have more than a ring of truth to them. 

 

From this point onward, the story takes a deep dive into one wild adventure after another. Misty mornings on the beach drift into boozy nights throughout Mazatlán’s Golden Zone and Centro Historico as they was in the early 1990’s. 

 

I’ve read this book numerous times over the past 15 years and am always delighted by the vivid imagery that pull readers into the story and it feels as if you are experiencing it first-hand.  Through every possible misstep, blunder, pitfall and screw-up that populate his journey, David powers through, supremely optimistic that his next idea, plan or scheme will be the one that finally pays off serious cash dividends that will make the end result worth the effort.

 

Colorful descriptions of the people and places of the Mazatlán of that era allow us here today to connect some dots and answer questions about some of the confusing and inexplicable things that we experience today.

 

There are laugh out loud moments along the way as David’s self-deprecating literary style let us know that he realizes that his blunders, mistakes and pitfalls he experiences – while tragic at times – were the life-altering adventure and a truly authentic experience that he needed to help redefine his life as he reached north of 40. 

 

His writing style can be described as humorous, poetic, sexy and spiritual in turn.  Significant literary and musical knowledge mark the headers of every chapter with thought-provoking quotes from diverse voices including Mark Twain, Ernest Hemingway - and of course - Jimmy Buffett.

 

Manana Doesn’t Mean Tomorrow is a fast-paced page turner that is fun reading for anybody.