Acapulco

We idle slowly into the bay in search of anchorage, the bay is a couple miles wide, at the first turn there appear the many hotel towers, lined up close to each other along the beaches. Bill and I had the same thought, on the radio he says, “I miss Zihuatanejo” to which I answered “me too! Obviously the first sight of Acapulco did not impress much, perhaps those towers expressed an unattractive impersonality, a busy and noisy population, or the industrial look of a shipping terminal; population two and half millions.

Ana Mae

But surely there is beauty to be found, and an attitude adjustment is in order for me. The night falls and from the flybridge I ease into a slow 360 degree gaze at this illuminated landscape, the sound of a jack hammer is quite annoying, a party boat with lights and loud music seems to encircle us every two hours, the barking of dogs. Nonetheless, I find peace up on the fly bridge with my computer, blogging, where a breeze refreshes me and puts me in a total relaxed mode. We'll see tomorrow what lies behind the string of lights that surrounds us.

Our last guests, the Sampsons, told us of their city tour of Acapulco and recommended Gilly Palomares as a guide and even gave us his phone number. Easy enough, we contacted him this morning. He picks us up at the marina at twelve. Introductions. He wears an impeccably white long shirt with an impeccably white undershirt, perfectly ironed black pants, shiny black shoes the heels showing no sign of wear. His skin is youngl, his hair is shiny, sideburns perfectly trimmed, he is kind and patient.

We first stop at the Hotel Flamingos, the very famous Hollywood gang hideaway built in the thirties and sold to John Wayne, Johnny Wessmüller (Tarzan) and others. Pictures of Tarzan and Jane fill the walls of the porch outside. Johnny Wesmuller loved Acapulco, he lived and died here. Built on the highest cliff, 492 ft, fantastic tranquility and vista.

         

Tomorrow the Nordhavn gang will have dinner at the Hotel Flamingos and watch the sunset. The granite cliff, the sunset and the ocean were the same in the thirties as they will be tomorrow, same delight different era. Drinking my Coco Loco which by the way is a drink created here in the fifties, I'll toast to 27 years of marriage to my own Tarzan.

Tarzan and Jane wall of fame

coco loco in hand and watching the sunset

Waiter in background preparing our anniversary Banana Flambé

           Sweet surprise when I returned, rose petals on the floor, heart of roses,
chocolates and an I LOVE YOU balloon, what more  can I want...
Happy Anniversary Skipper

Diver rock climbing to position

Just ten minutes away, the main attraction, cliff divers diving off a cliff platform of 126 feet. The guide said divers make about $1800 (US) a month which really surprised us. The money comes from the tourists.

Divers praying to their patron saint The Virgin of Guadalupe

Don and young diver

Acapulco cliff diving has never claimed a life

The citizens's side of town

The tourists' side of town

           

After the show we ask our guide to take us where he would go for a quick lunch, the local flavors. A very busy corner street restaurant watches six fair skinned people come in.  Food was great, Guide promises us that no one will be sick.  He was right. 

Milly Hauss de Trouyet lost two of her sons to a plane crash in 1967. Her dream was to erect a cross on the highest mountain top for everyone to see.  The cross is planted deep into the granite 20 m to resist winds of 260km.  The chapel wall is made of green and yellow rectangular plates of onyx.  The chapel officiates weddings for all religions and people come from all over the world.

Cross erected by the Trouyet Hauss family

The two right hands of the sons who died in a plane crash

magical landscape by the chapel

view from the Chapel of the Peace

View from the chapel


We then asked our guide to drop us off at the grocery store right at top of the marina, WOW! that was the best grocery store of all Mexico so far and better than the states even!

Farmer Skipper is very impressed with fruit quality

Provisions in the bags, Mike and LouAnn crew arriving tonight, departure tomorrow morning, 

SEE YOU IN HUATULCO!

Thinking of you...