Acapulco

Trip Start Jul 16, 2007
1
9
139
Trip End Jul 15, 2008


Loading Map
Map your own trip!
Map Options
Show trip route
Hide lines
shadow
Where I stayed
María Acela
(Acapulco hotels)

Flag of Mexico  ,
Saturday, July 28, 2007

On Thursday we caught the bus to Acapulco - we decided it was time to see the sea as all the towns seemed to have a sea side feel anyway! After arriving at our hotel in the afternoon we took a walk along the sea front, and just enjoying our sandwiches we are getting waved at be someone off a boat. Best to ignore we think. Anyway he is persistent so comes up from the water to where we are sitting to try and sell us snorkeling/scuba diving. Although it sounds good we are thinking we will save it for somewhere with more to see. However we go and have a look at the leaflet and boat, and then get offered free snorkeling as we are ´mermaids´! We try to find out the catch, but decide we´ll go along on Friday afternoon if its really free. (The company was said to be reputable in our guidebook!). Sure enough we got a boat ride out to the island (I got to drive!) and guided snorkeling for a couple of hours while the other paying customers went scuba diving. Our guides would dive down and pick up specimens from the sea bed (and carefully replace them), we saw puffer fish, starfish, and many bizarre fish i have no idea what they are called 1 Sandwich Time
1 Sandwich Time
 ! We did decline the kind off of a night dive!

Instead we thought we had better sample the night life Acapulco is renowned for. We head to the more touristy area but get distracted on route by crazy golf! (still open at 11pm). A little cheating and an hour later we then continue on and get our flier for a reduction to ´Paladium´ a large club overlooking the bay. It is 15 pounds entry with free drinks all night, so we though we´d splash out! We arrived and men in black tie show to your seats, however we head to the bar so he leaves us there, go and sit down and he returns to move us - you can´t just sit anywhere - that was an 8 person table!! Anyhow we are sitting in what is more like a theater than a club, but with an amazing back drop which is just a wall of glass which shows all the lights of Acapulco Bay, then the music is hiked up and the entertainment starts (12.30am), there are fire dancers, and a ceiling ribbon act to warm you up for the dancing. Then  by about 4am we are being told the best act in town is about to appear. A man dressed in silver with flaming torches appears and starts singing to an English sound track waving the fire around and dancing. We are a little bemused as to why this is the best act in town but join in the taking of pictures as everyone else is! He then starts throwing out Cd's and gos, at which point we think we should - very bizarre!

Saturday, after a good lie in we explored the sea the other side of the hotel, culminating in watching the famous cliff divers in the evening.  Local divers plummet from 25 - 35m up a cliff down to the narrow cove of sea water below. Apparently they have to judge the waves to ensure there is enough water or otherwise they hit the bottom... They start by coming through the crowd and dive into the water from the viewing area swim across the small channel and proceed to rock climb. The younger ones stopping 3/4 of the way up with the final di ver right at the top. They then take it in turns to dive gracefully from the cliff, others somersaulting, 2 dive off together with the final one lighting a fire and torches. The flood lights go out and eventually he throws himself in the torch light off the cliff into the dark waters below.
Slideshow Print this entry