April 1 - Acapulco

This morning we headed out with our driver/guide Gilly for a tour of Acapulco. First stop was the fort overlooking the harbor. The original fort was built before 1600 but was destroyed in an earthquake ( of which there are several hundred a year here - most imperceptible). The current fort was built on top of the old one in the early 17th century. Acapulco was an important port for the Spanish Empire. Silk, spices and other things from the Orient were brought there and shipped overland to the Caribbean side for transportation to Spain. Also ships laden with gold from South America and silver from Mexico passed through the port. The rich cargoes made it a favorite target of pirates. The fort was built with guns facing both the water and the land to prevent the pirates from assaulting it from either side. As a result, pirates waited in the next bay and attacked the ships after they left the safe harbor provided by the fort’s cannon.
The fort has a special exhibition of folkloric artwork from towns in the state of Guerrero. The picture we’ve attached is one of a figurine crafted for the Dia de los Muertes or the Day of the Dead (November 1) which is a big feast day in Mexico. Rather than a day for sadness and mourning it is a celebration as you can see from the skeleton playing his instrument.

Next we passed through old Acapulco. Along the way we saw the house where the famous Mexican artist Diego Rivera lived when he was in Acapulco. He decorated the wall of the grounds with a magnificent mosaic depicting the rattlesnake which is on the Mexican flag. We stopped at the Hotel Los Flamingos which sits atop the highest cliffs in Acapulco and was the favorite haunt of old Hollywood greats like John Wayne, Cary Grant, Richard Widmark and many more.

AFinally we made a short stop at the Zocalo, the main square of Acapulco. A shady place with fountains and lots of cafes around it, it was full of locals eating lunch and enjoying the lovely afternoon. There were several vendors with huge collections of colorful helium balloons in a myriad of colors as you can see from the other photo. It was an interesting and educational tour.
The rest of the afternoon we spent at the beach club. Katie brought her mask and snorkel and was able to see a number of fish in the saltwater pools, including one that nibbled at her toe. All in all a lovely day in Acapulco.