Day Five: Acapulco

Acapulco baby, just like I pictured it, glorious coastal bay and everything!

First we stretch and grab some nourishment, then we return to our room and see Acapulco literally on top of us. Again, our port suite works well as the ship docks on the portside. The San Diego fortress (1521) can be touched if only we had stretched a little bit more; the Bienvenidos a Acapulco letters on the port building are in front of us. Our level six veranda is higher than the port so we can see the whole city as the edifices pour like syrup on the mountains over the bay. We go down and walk off the ship.

On a bus, we meet our tour guide Carlos. He speaks wonderful wonderful American English even though he keeps apologizing for it. At the end of the tour, he tells us that federal tour guides go to school for five years after college and take 48 subjects, including European history, Canadian history, US history, as well as historia de Mejico. He speaks four languages. He is proud to have two children at the university who each have their own bedroom and a computer in their rooms. He says that often his fellow countrymen will approach him and say, let's go to the United States (I was thinking he would be a great asset), and he says, no, he is proud of his country and wants to work to make it better. (See, he would be a great asset.) He is very excited about the new President Calderon and told us Obama was in Mexico as we spoke. He was not that excited about Obama when I asked. Hmm. Really, he doesn't want to live in U.S. because when he visited New York City someone took him to Buffalo in January. On our 85-degree Spring day in Acapulco, he was wearing a t-shirt under his tropical shirt because it is "still cold."

And off the bus drove to the hotel on a cliff where we sat at tables cascading from the nooks and crannies to watch the divers. Now this was just like I pictured it from ABC's Wide World of Sports a hundred years ago. Six men and one woman each perched on a different cliff nook. (The girl is 15 and the first female diver (she is daughter of one of the master divers) but she does not belong to the union yet because you have to dive off the very tippy top before you can belong to the union).

One by one, they dove off. The man on the top did two complete revolutions on the way down. When they hit the water, three of them swam away to the ocean where they boarded a tour boat for tips. The other four climbed up the rocks. Then the hotel presented a folklore dance with four dancers, first dancing a hunt as a deer and an Indian brave; then in traditional Mexican garb and stamping and tapping on the wooden floor.

Back on the bus and a hairpin drive along the entire coast of Acapulco with stops at lindas vistas. It was simply gorgeous. No wonder there were so many tales of Hollywood stars to pass on. There is Julio Iglesia's, there is Sylvester Stallone's, now Robert DeNiro's, that's where Elizabeth Taylor enjoyed five honeymoons, this is the hotel in which Howard Hughes spent his last few months. Perhaps that's why The Aviator was filmed here? Elvis filmed his Acapulco movie here too. And, naturally, a James Bond flick was made here. We saw a sculpture by Dali (The Lovers or The Pretzel) and one of Diana, the Huntress.

All the while Carlos gave us a good feel for the culture, the politics, the community, the history. And he even gave us a recipe that I will try as it has five ingredients! Glynne, here it is.

Avocado (with no avocado)
15 jalapenos, deseeded
3/4 red onion
olive oil
Chop and mix
Saute just until pepper begins to yellow but don't let it yellow!
Blender it
Add cilantro and salt
Voila! Es avocado!

When back on board the ship, up to Deck 10 for desert. I think being on the big cruise ship in port in Acapulco is almost better than being in Acapulco. You have a panoramic view of everything. Our sight immediately in front of our table was the Fortress and then of course, parks, and volkswagens (galore) and mansions and shacks. It was fun to hear the city sounds from the ship. So we went back to our room and enjoyed our veranda.

And then, just the usual. Gym class, Persian baths (ooolala again!!), canapes in suite, dinner (filet of sole - delish), walk the decks, glimpse into the theater at the Tango Dancers, play checkers in the card room (it was a stalemate, who plays checkers to a draw?, we must be a matched pair). And off to bed as another early tour day in the morning.

Love you all and miss you and enjoy your comments so much.