Acapulco

ACAPULCO
It was still dark when I woke and Ed was sleeping quietly. Eventually I peeked through the curtains and saw a beginning sunrise behind gorgeous clouds and islands. We got up a little before 8 and the ship docked right on time at 8am. You can see a range of mountains a few miles beyond the pier. A thatched bar sits on the pier with the motto: Just another bar.
VOIP
Ed fired up VOIP on his iPhone and called Nancy to congratulate her for the Saint’s win in the Super Bowl. He promises to set it up on mine when we get to LA. I’m afraid to use the damned thing because of the excessive per-minute charges if it connects with something other than ATT. But it would be a great convenience if we could use that. I’d love to have it set up with Skype on this netbook which has a web cam. I don’t know why Ed hasn’t wanted to set that up yet.
Note to Amy
I don’t hear the tap tap tap of Ed’s razor in the mornings because he knows it wakes me up. Since he doesn’t read the blogs, it must be because you mentioned it to him. So big kiss!
Wow! I won!
You may recall my chagrin over the word puzzle from the economist. I couldn’t get 4 of the answers but I gave it a yeoman’s try (with a little help from Ed). But I decided to turn it in anyway telling the lecturer that it was from his Econ for Dummies pupil. Well! In our box today was the graded (though not corrected: I still want to know the correct answers) form AND a credit card/passport case from Princess cruises. I was stunned. I must thank him when I see him next.
I want to meet this person
Posted on the door of a cabin on deck 4 is the following sign: Warning! Retired person lives here who knows it all and has the time to tell it all to you. I laugh every time I go by that room but I have yet to see that “retired person.”
Today’s tour
This was a walking tour of old Acapulco. We were fitted with these portable receivers with ear pieces so we can hear the guide well no matter where either of us finds ourselves. I have come to hope we have these on every tour as you can adjust the volume and they are so easy to use.
We climbed up a few hundred feet of ramp to cross the busy boulevard next to the ship’s mooring and came to a fortress that has the best view of Acapulco possible. We were taken through several rooms with displays and historical artifacts. I knew almost none of the history so it held our interest more than usual. Jorge was our guide and he walked very slowly with frequent rest stops. He reassured us several times that this would be an easy walk (which it was). However, through the receiver I could hear Jorge’s breathing which wasn’t too cool and so I think the slow pace was as much for his benefit as for ours.
After the fort, we walked leisurely through many streets and he told us about various parts of the local culture. I had brought my walking stick and was glad I did because it just provided a little extra balance on these cobblestone streets. There are police at regular intervals and they were gracious when I indicated I wanted to take a photo. Since many are in different uniforms, I have no idea of their affiliations. They often followed us and seemed to be doing a good job of being sure everything was as they thought it should be.
Taking your life in your hands…
Going across these streets that is. The guide had a technician with us in case the radio receivers didn’t work and between the two of us they would cajole the drivers to let us pass safely across the streets. There was a lot of copious thank yous to reward them for allowing us to keep our lives intact. Most cars are little: Vegas and VWs, and the latter must be very popular as we saw many vintage ones here and there. Eventually we came to the plaza or Zocalo which always has a huge church next to in Mexican towns. The Plaza is shaded by enormous ficus trees and has a lovely fountain in the center.
The church
This was a surprise because it has domes similar to a mosque Turkish style. But it is beautiful inside with blue paint and gold decorations. Some worshipers were inside and it had such a peaceful quality to it. We joined with another group from our ship who were also on a walking tour and one fellow with a very nice Canon camera came up asking me for some specifics about the Nikon. I referred him to Ed and thus began a Man Conversation about horsepower (my term) and such in cameras. I talked with the lady I’ve mentioned before who wasn’t my favorite person years ago. She’s quite sweet and I’ve come to enjoy her. She and Mr. Canon seemed to be kind’ve together so I wonder if there’s something being ignited there. Wouldn’t that be cute?
Aaahhh fluids
We had been given a bottle of water at the beginning of the tour; Ed and I both carry bottles of water as we are never very sure about easy access to fluids. And I worry that Ed needs something to eat. He forgot his glucose tablets today (that is the one thing I didn’t ask if he’d remembered to take though I did ask if he had a snack). We were taken to a lovely patio inside a hotel where we were given a choice of soft drink. As I began to reposition a chair at the table we were sitting down at, this fellow who was always right in the middle of everything everyone wanted to see, simply snatched it away. He never looked at me and acted as if nothing was amiss. We found another chair and were joined by a lady we’ve had lunch with before; she’ s also a retired nurse so it was a nice visit.
There we were off again to see the locals. Many folks set up little impromptu food stands (there’s no way I’d try that no matter how tempting but I do have to keep a close eye on Ed. When were were here on our honeymoon 26 yrs ago, he got horribly ill with Monctezuma’s revenge. But I have to admit, they looked very tempting, especially the tortillas. I’ll see if any of the photos are worth posting.
Benito Juarez museum
This is a much revered President of Mexico and the museum doesn’t do justice to his time. Still it was interesting to see his history through the Mexicans.
The tourist trap
Eventually we were herded to a jewelry store with Princess Cruises endorsement. It was air conditioned and they provided a small beer or a really tasty, but not too alcoholic, margarita. One fellow said he really thought we’d be able to escape the shopping venues on this trip. What planet has he been living on. There were many lovely products here and many unique ones. Ed and I spotted a carved and painted wooden cane. It reminded me of a cane my Dad gave his father when I was a child. It was marked $42 USD. A very nice gentleman came up and we discussed the cane. When I asked his best price, he asked if we were paying cash. I said perhaps. We finally got to a price of $30 USD and I was really tempted, especially since we didn’t have to worry about getting it home. But in the end, I decided against it. What would I do with it? I know no one at the moment who needs a cane and it was heavy. He was gracious and I felt bad that I had to decide not to get it in the end.
Bargaining
We have found this kind of graciousness everywhere when you show an interest in a product. What a difference from Guatamala! Like a breath of fresh air.
Lunch on the ship
We sat on the back of the Lido deck and it was like out of a movie. The bay of Acapulco embraces the ship on all sides and here we were having lunch. We could see the area where we had stayed on our honeymoon but that part of Acapulco is light years away from what we had just seen on the tour. Lysle came and joined us and we visited about everything and nothing. They had done the laundry this morning without incident. There was an incident of someone leaving their washer running and not being present when it finished while others were waiting for it. Some folks finally decided to empty the washer and about that time the lady walked in though they said she was very pleasant. We overheard part of a conversation at an adjacent table where the woman was saying something about a man ironing a shirt. Yesterday I was in the boutique when a couple were buying something and the clerk wished them luck in the Laundromat. Who would think that laundry would dominate so much of our existence on this kind of a vacation.
At the ship’s terminal we looked at various things and laughed about the possibilities. For example, there was a tiny red sombrero with a chin strap that would have been perfect for Teddy. We laughed about getting it but while we’d think it was cute/funny, Teddy surely wouldn’t. There was also a gorgeous blouse that I looked at. The lady seemed very honest about the composition of the fabric and we tried to find one that would be a good fit. I wasn’t comfortable with the fit and was afraid I’d have buyer’s remorse if I bought something that really didn’t fit me right. Ed bought some candy before we came back to the ship, however.
As I write this I can see the fort we visited directly across the boulevard. What I see certainly has more meaning now. There is nothing going on on the ship while it’s in port so it’s very quiet everywhere. I’ll try to get the photos downloaded and ready to post. Then with luck, I’ll post because tomorrow we are in Zhijuatanejo (Ok please don’t hold me to anything close to the correct spelling!) and so there won’t be any time to do this. I don’t like to get behind. Then we have a sea day and next is the endurance test of the Copper Canyon tour where we leave at 4:30 am (LEAVE not get up!) and return around 11 pm.
Dinner
I was so busy writing the blog, downloading and editing photos, that I didn’t realize it was time for dinner until Ed popped up to say let’s go. One of the couples was not there but we all discussed Acapulco and lots of other topics. As I’ve said, one couple is leaving the ship in LA. The wife clearly is more of our political persuasion but when they leave, we will need to keep our own counsel because the two men (and therefore I assume their wives since the women have said nothing that would indicate otherwise) are clearly at the other end of the political spectrum from us. We’ve been in this situation before but there was an unwritten agreement among all of us about how it was handled. I don’t know if this will be as easily resolved this time. But let’s hope so.
Folklorico show
Nothing special about dinner. The ship often brings on local ethnic dance troupes for shows and this one met our expectations. One passenger said he had seen the National Folklorico group perform in Mexico City and this group rivaled them. They danced a variety of regional dances and of course they had the obligatory mariachi group (they were pretty ordinary actually) and the rope trick guy. But the costumes and performances of each dance were truly spectacular. I sat on the floor in front of some kind ladies you let me take photos as we couldn’t get a seat very close to the stage. There are flood lights opposite this position; still I managed a few photos that will display the marvelous costumes and the atheleticism of the dancers.
Leaving Acapulco
We went out on Deck 5 to see the harbor of Acapulco as we were leaving. I’ve tried to think of adjectives that could adequately describe the hills at night. The tiny lights everywhere allow one to see the undulations of the hills all around the bay. It really is something you never tire of seeing. There is a large cross that has been erected by a family with a lot of tragic stories (they established a trust which finished the cross after their death) and it is visible from a very long distance allowing you to get your bearings about where things are in relation to that cross.