Day 9 - Thursday Jan 05 Acapulco, Mexico

Acapulco photos

position: 16:50:53 N latitude x 99:54:12 W longitude
(Acapulco, Mexico)
temperature: 80F and 76% humidity at 8:00 am - docked

We docked starboard side about 8:00 am in the morning. We ate breakfast and started off the ship around 9:15 for our day in Acapulco. Our plan was to visit the old fort right across the street from the ship, and then maybe try to do some shopping, see the cliff divers and then see some petroglyphs up one one the mountains that surrounds the bay. We were bombarded with cab offers as we left the pier. All we wanted to do was to walk over to the fort, but it was almost impossible to get past the throng of cab drivers. After we broke free, a guy walked past us and made some comment like he couldn't believe how those cab drivers acted. He said you could see the fort, and mask museum and city square just by walking. He actually walked us over to the fort and gave us a little description of it. He said he worked for the city in the tourist bureau. We spent about an hour walking through the fort, and when we were ready to leave, there was our friend (Estaban). He said he had a government car available with a driver if we wanted to hire one. We told him that we wanted to shop at a supermarket type place (to buy some of the stuff that had been pilfered from our baggage), to eat pozole (we are here on a Thursday which makes it pozole day in Acapulco), see the cliff divers, and go up to Palma Sola archaeological state park to see petroglyphs. He said we could have a car and driver and him for the rest of the day for $70. We took him up on the offer without dickering over the price. So, instead of riding around in one of the many, un-airconditioned Volkswagen Beetle cabs, we were driven around in a new Suburban SUV with very powerful AC. The only downside (other than thinking you were set up by a smooth operator) was the car was huge and the streets were narrow. But it turned out to be a very positive experience.

We stopped at a Super Mercado grocery store, and bought toothpaste for $1.60 a tube instead of the $4 a tube they wanted in the CVS in Key West. We also bought some blank CDs (though we had to buy 100 of them), and a few other items. We then drove up to the cliff diver location. We paid $12.50 pp for 2 drinks each so we could sit in the shade and see the divers. It was thrilling. Take a look at the pictures. Bob and Clay had a Negra Modelo and a Pacifico beer while waiting to see the divers.
We next drove over to El Zorrito (little fox) restaurant for Pozole and got there around 2pm. Debbie had read about Thursday being Pozole day in Acapulco. Estaban was surprised to hear gringos request Pozole (it is a soup made from hominy). It turned out to be a very good meal. Paid about 190 pesos (10.50 pesos to 1USD) for a lot of food and drinks.

Around 3:30, we headed up to the mountain where the Palma Sola archaeological site was located. It was high up and you had to walk about 300-400 meters straight up on stone steps. We spent about an hour and a half there walking up the steps and looking at the petroglyphs. Estaban even walked up the mountain with us. (The driver stayed down in the entrance building socializing with the museum personnel.) We bought 2 t-shirts and gave a donation to the park as the entrance was free. It was deserted except for a family who was trying to get a 3-yr old to walk up the mountain. We easily out paced them to have the site to ourselves. That kid cried all the way up until she dropped off and got carried the rest of the way. We knew just how she felt. It was hot, but there was a lot of shade and a cooling breeze up there with fantastic views. Plus the petroglyphs were really amazing.

Dinner was casual in Compass Rose and we kept it short. We were still stuffed with pozole! They were serving an oaky Chardonnay and Debbie turned up her nose and got offered a Riesling. Very good. Watched "The Perfect Man" playing on TV and early to sleep.

Acapulco photos