A Mexican Woodpecker

This guy was busily pecking on the coconut palm by our casita pool. Maybe he was looking for some coconut milk for a pina colada.

View from Tulipan Restaurant

April 2nd - Bye, Bye Acapulco; Hello Coral Princess

This morning we had breakfast at the Tulipan Restaurant high atop the hill of the Las Brisas complex. Another open air restaurant, it has gorgeous views of the bay and Acapulco in the distance. Back in our casita before it was time to leave we sat on our balcony and watched a pair of woodpeckers working over the coconut palm tree next to our pool.

At noon we were off with our driver to the cruise terminal. Traffic was an absolute zoo. Anybody renting a car there is taking his life in his own hands. Check-in was easy and we were quickly onboard.

We spent the rest of the day relaxing at the pool. The ship is as nice as I remember her to be.

The Balloon Man in the Zocalo

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.

Another photo from Las Brisas, Acapulco

Here's a picture of the beautiful La Concha Beach Club, belonging to the hotel we stayed at in Acapulco.

March 31 - Day One of Our Panama Canal Cruise

Katie and I met in Houston for our flight down to Acapulco. We had a car and driver waiting to pick us up and transfer us to Las Brisas Hotel. What a beautiful place! The hotel is built on a hillside overlooking Acapulco Bay. There are about 250 rooms divided into individual casitas, most with a private pool. The roads to get to the casitas are very steep and the hotel transports you around in pink and white jeeps. In fact, everything in the place is pink and white and there are hibiscus flowers everywhere, including fresh flowers strewn daily in the private pools.

After lazing by our pool for a little while we decided to check out the hotel’s private beach club at the foot of the hillside. A shuttle transported us down a winding road through a housing area in which the average home price is $2.5 million. At the bottom was La Concha Beach Club. There really isn‘t a beach. Rather the hotel has built decks and walkways along the ocean and formed a couple of saltwater pools which are sheltered from the seas. There‘s also a freshwater pool and a lovely open air restaurant serving lunch. It was late in the afternoon so we only stayed a short time but decided to go back the next afternoon.

We had dinner at the hotel‘s Bellavista Restaurant overlooking the bay and the city. It was a spectacular view of the lights of the city of more than two million. Then it was off to bed after a long day, especially for Katie..