ACAPULCO

DAY 13 - ACAPULCO, MEXICO - FEBRUARY 8, 2010

BELIEVE IT OR NOT, WE ACTUALLY AROSE EARLY TO SEE OUR ARRIVAL INTO ACAPULCO BAY. THE MORNING SUN HADN’T BROKEN THROUGH THE THIN SCATTERED CLOUD LAYER WHEN WE ARRIVED ON DECK. WE MANAGED TO TAKE A FEW PICTURES FOLLOWED BY A LITE BREAKFAST.

OUR MEETING TIME IN THE LOUNGE WAS 8:45 AM, MUCH LATER THAN PREVIOUS DAYS. WHEN WE ARRIVED THE ROOM WAS FULL OF EAGER TOURIST READY TO HIT THE SIGHTS OF ACAPULCO. THE BEST VIEWS OF ACAPULCO WAS OUR CHOICE TODAY. IT IS LISTED AS ONLY A 4 TO 5 HOUR EXCURSION.

LUIS, OUR GUIDE, SPOKE BETTER THAN AVERAGE ENGLISH AND INFORMED US WE WERE IN FOR A GREAT DAY. AS WE MOTORED DOWN THE MAIN DRAG HE STOPPED ALONG THE WAY TO SHOW US POINTS OF INTEREST.

OUR FIRST BEST VIEW WAS THE LAS BRISAS. ALTHOUGH IN SOMEWAYS IT COULD BE CONSTRUED AS A HOTEL IT IS REALLY OF SERIES OF PRIVATE BUNGALOWS BUILT ON VARIOUS LEVELS OF THE HILLSIDE OVERLOOKING ACAPULCO BAY. NOT ONLY ARE THE VIEWS SPECTACULAR, EACH UNIT HAS LARGE PICTURE WINDOWS IN EVERY ROOM, INCLUDING THE BATHROOM. GUEST HAVE THEIR OWN POOL AND WHIRLPOOL, OUTDOOR DECK AND PATIO, LIVING ROOM AND AT LEAST ONE BEDROOM.

MOST TOURS ARE ON BUSES, BUT OURS WAS IN A VAN. AT FIRST I FELT WE WERE GETTING THE SHAFT, HOWEVER WHEN I SAW THE ROADS AND PATHS LUIS HAD TO NAVIGATE I REALIZED WHY WE HAD VANS. AFTER CLEARING THE SECURITY GATE WE WERE ESCORTED TO THE VERY TOP OF THE COMPLEX TO THE VERY BEST BUNGALOW, WHICH OF COURSE HAD THE BEST VIEW.

THEY SAY A PICTURE SAYS A THOUSAND WORDS AND IN THIS CASE IT WOULD HAVE TO DO SO BECAUSE THE ONLY THING I CAN SAY IS SPECTACULAR.

DID I HEAR SOMEONE ASK THE PRICE? WELL, OFF SEASON, THE PRICE IS ONLY $1200. DURING SEASON THE PRICE JUMPS TO $2000. OH, DID I MENTION THAT IT IS PER NIGHT.

AFTER GETTING THE WALK THROUGH WE JUMPED BACK IN THE VAN FOR A TRIP DOWN THE SWITCH BACK ROAD TO THE RESTAURANT FOR REFRESHMENTS, AND ANOTHER FANTASTIC VIEW. OUR FANTASY OF BEING WEALTHY EXCLUSIVE GUEST OF THE ESTABLISHMENT WERE QUICKLY ENDED WHEN HEARD THE CALL TO JUMP BACK IN THE VAN FOR OUR NEXT BEST VIEWS OF ACAPULCO.

THE CHAPEL OF PEACE IS LOCATE LESS THAN A MILE FURTHER UP THE HILL ON THE MAIN DRAG. AGAIN WE HAVE TO CLEAR SECURITY BEFORE BEING PERMITTED TO ENTER THE GROUNDS. THE IS A LONG HISTORY CONNECTED TO THE FACILITY WHICH IS CONSTRUCTED IN AN AREA SURROUNDED BY PRIVATE HOMES THAT COST APPROXIMATELY 4 TO 5 MILLION DOLLARS.

THIS IS NON-DENOMINATIONAL AND HOLD REGULAR WORSHIP SERVICES FOR THE CATHOLIC CHURCH SEVERAL TIMES EACH WEEK. WEDDING ARE FREQUENTLY HELD ON SATURDAYS AT $600 A POP.

THE HIGHLIGHT OF THIS STOP IS THE 120 FOOT CROSS WHICH CAN BE SEEN FROM JUST ABOUT EVERYWHERE IN ACAPULCO.THE CROSS, CHAPEL, GROUNDS AND THE LARGE SET OF SCULPTURED HANDS, BOTH RIGHT HANDS SIGNIFYING HARMONY, ARE WELL WORTH THE TRIP. (RIGHT HANDS ARE COMMONLY USED TO SHAKE HANDS, A FORM OF GREETING, AND WERE THEREFORE USED IN THIS EXHIBIT TO EXPRESS FRIENDSHIP AND HARMONY.)

WE SPENT ABOUT 30 MINUTES AT THE CHAPEL BEFORE HEADING TO THE SHOPPING EXPERIENCE THAT MOST TOURS SEEM TO ALWAYS OFFER. GEORGIA AND I CHOSE TO WALK ACROSS THE STREET TO THE FAMOUS HOTEL MIRAOOR. THE HOTEL IS THE SITE OF THE INFAMOUS CLIFF DRIVERS.

ALTHOUGH THE DIVERS WERE NOT PREFORMING AT THE TIME, GEORGIA AND I SNAPPED PICTURES IF THE AREA. WE WERE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO SEE THE DIVERS SEVERAL YEARS AGO ON OUR MEXICAN RIVIERA CRUISE. THE SHOPPING PORTION ENDED AND WE WERE HEADING BACK TO THE VAN AS THEY WERE LOADING.

OUR FINAL STOP WAS THE LOS FLAMINGOS HOTEL, ONCE OWNED BY THE MOVIE STAR AND ORIGINAL TARZAN, JOHNNY WEISSMULLER. WEISSMULLER WAS OWNER FROM 1950 THROUGH 1980 AND IT WAS OFTEN FREQUENTED BY STARS LIKE JOHN WAYNE, RED SKELTON, ERROL FLYNN CARY GRANT AND OTHERS.

ALTHOUGH THE PLACE IS NOT WHAT IT USE TO BE IT HAS A CERTAIN CHARM, AND IT IS RELATIVELY CHEAP FOR ACAPULCO. THE MAIN ATTRACTION IS THE ROUND ROOM, WHICH IS REALLY 4 ROOMS, CONSTRUCTED AT THE TOP OF THE PROPERTY FOR HIMSELF. THE ROOM COMES WITH A VIEW THAT ALSO IS FABULOUS.

AS WE PULLED OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY LUIS ALTERED HIS ROUTE BACK TO THE SHIP AND MADE ONE LAST PASS AT THE SIGHT OF THE CLIFF DIVERS. ALTHOUGH WE WERE ONLY THEIR FOR A FEW MINUTES, AND WE NEVER LEFT THE VAN, WE MANAGED TO SEE 3 YOUNG DIVERS PLUNGE INTO THE WATER AT THE SAME TIME.

ONCE BACK ON THE SHIP WE WENT TO GET A SMALL BITE TO EAT BEFORE I WENT TO WORK ON THE CREATION OF THE COHEN TRAVEL BLOG. SURPRISINGLY I FOUND IT AS EASY AS BOB SAID IT WOULD BE TO CREATE. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE FIRST ELEVEN DAYS POSTED WITHIN AN HOUR BUT WAS UNABLE TO GET THE PICTURES INSERTED. OH WELL, ROME WASN’T BUILT IN A DAY EITHER.

AFTER DINNER GEORGIA AND I HUSTLED OVER TO THE LOUNGE TO GET FRONT ROW SEATS FOR THE MEXICAN FOLKLORIC PRESENTATION PREFORMED BY A LOCAL GROUP. IT WAS A SUPERB SHOW WITH TRADITIONAL MUSIC AND VERY COLORFUL PERIOD COSTUMES.