Sunday, Day 134 - May 20 - 8 to 4, Acapulco, Mexico

Acapulco, nicknamed "Pearl of the Pacific," is Mexico's most glamorous pacific resort. Located on a deep, semi-circular bay, Acapulco is located southwest of Mexico City. Few destinations can match its superb weather with an average of 360 days of sunshine per year and with temperatures comfortably in the 80s. Acapulco was important as a port city for Spanish galleons sailing between Spain and the Orient long before it was "discovered" as a vacation playground. We visited here first in the mid-1980's, the first time we sailed through the Panama Canal. We were back in 1995 on a Christmas Canal sailing with all our grown children.

Acapulco has developed a bad reputation over the years so we do a free ship's tour mainly to see what has happened to the city since we first visited over thirty years ago. Our tour, "Historical, Picturesque and Cliff Divers," meets at 8:30AM and is four hours long. We go to breakfast for a fast bite. Then get our tickets about 8:40AM and head out to the pick up point. They are only letting a few buses and vans in at a time. We are #21 and finally at 9AM vans 19, 20, 21 and 22 show up. We luck out with an 11 person van and only five of us. I sit in the very front and Dick sits in the very back with a single man with a broken collar bone (happened the other day on the ship) and British couples in the two middle rows so everyone is comfortable; unlike some vans that have eight and 10 in them.

First we head to "La Quebrada", the site where Acapulco's world famous cliff divers perform their heart-stopping dives off the high cliffs. We have been here every time, but it is still great to watch the divers as they gracefully leap from a height of approximately 140 feet into the shallow and dangerous waters below.  There is a forced shopping stop ("He is my cousin.") here also.  Same old stuff and of no interest.

Then we head to the renowned Caleta area of Acapulco where the stars of yesteryear, such as Cary Grant, Gregory Peck, Errol Flynn and John Wayne would spend their holidays. This conglomeration of Hollywood's elite earned Caleta the title of “refuge of the Hollywood gang." Although those days are long past,  the homes and hotels that remain are a stylish but tarnished reminder of the Caleta's heyday. Stopping at Los Flamingos Hotel, we relax with refreshments and savor the ambience of this unique 1930's built hotel that was once owned by Johnny Weissmuller. Perfectly situated on one of the highest cliffs in Acapulco, the hotel not only provides spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean and La Roqueta Island, it also benefits from a continuous gentle sea-breeze. The hotel has retained its original charm and continues to be a popular even if some what run down.

Leaving the hotel, we make another shopping stop, mainly for the  view of the Bay since three of us have said we will not climb up to the Chapel. The Chapel of Peace is a lovely interdenominational chapel perched 1,250 ft. above sea level in an idyllic setting that overlooks the harbor and La Roqueta Island. We could see it as we sailed in at sunrise.  An impressive feature of the chapel is the towering 128 ft. Trouyet Cross which stands in the atrium. Both the chapel and the cross were erected as a tribute to the sons of Mr. and Mrs. Trouyet who died in an air accident while returning from Mexico City in 1967. Today, it is estimated to have been seen by almost every person coming to Acapulco and the panoramic views from this location are nothing short of amazing. We drive through the beautiful neighborhood to the Capel entrance which starts as a steep road and ends in more steps.

The other couple passes on this stop now that they can see the entrance so we head on to the last site, the historical Fort of San Diego. Originally built by the Spanish in the 1500s and later destroyed and rebuilt in the 1700s to protect Acapulco and the Orient trade route from pirates, it now serves as the home of Acapulco's History Museum. The Fort is one of the most significant historical sites in Acapulco and the museum houses a wide array of exhibits and displays which highlight the area's culture and history.

We get back to the ship at 12:30PM very hot and tired. The humidity is as bad as we have had on the whole trip. Dick heads on to the ship, but Carolyn checks out the nice looking shops in the modern, air conditioned terminal. The prices and merchandise are good and she finds a couple of things she is looking for.

Acapulco is just barely an OK Port of Call, It is an armed camp with a heavy police and military presence on the streets. Surprisingly we didn’t really feel unsafe. One of the crew members asked us how our day was and we responded it was OK, but not sure why Regents stops. They said because it was a cheap Port of Call!

Back on the ship by 1PM we head to lunch in the dining room. It is much cooler than La Veranda. The rest of the afternoon is very lazy. We get cleaned up and fresh clothes on go to Jamie’s last church service at 5:30PM.  It is a little emotional since it is the last one. We have become a family and it is parting time!

Then up to Galileo for cocktails and some music before heading to dinner when Compass Rose opens. It is 8:30PM and 75 degrees in the room with only clip on reading lights on, no TV. It is going to be another hot night