Acapulco -- Picking up Cindy

MONDAY, ACAPULCO, LA MARINA, 6 AM

It's still pretty dark so I'm typing by the light of an instrument light that is not going to help me avoid typos.

We're at a decrepit slip at a decrepit marina filled with very expensive yachts. The Club de Yates was full due to a regatta in progress so we opted for this spot which has no electricity, no water, and no services to speak of. Not really a problem, but it sets the stage. Nearby a broken floating dock reacts to each small wave that passes under it by rattling its metal mountings. The sound is like that of the gates of hell being shaken by inmates as they struggle to escape a fiery fate.

It is relatively quiet now, although there is the constant crowing of roosters on Daylight Savings Time, dogs barking, incessant traffic, and a buzzing that is probably in my head.

The hills surrounding Acapulco bay are covered with small lights from the myriad dwellings and there is a heavy ring of stronger lights that defines the shoreline. Mercifully the discos are quiet. For most of the night their insanely loud amps blast disco music across the still waters. It's a lot like living over a disco designed for the aurally challenged.

The silhouette of a canoe with a single person is gliding across my view headed I don't know where.

Yesterday was a day of relaxation. We first had breakfast on board of bacon and french toast and then did some chores on the boat cleaning up some of the debris from the trip up here. Later we went to look over the Club de Yates and made an appointment to use the fuel pier in the afternoon after the race participants left.

We then caught a cab to Wal-Mart to do some shopping. We filled a cart with 6 cases of soda pop, a case of beer, three large bags of potato chips and a small case of single serving snack type chips like Doritos, chips, pokky puffs and the like. We did incidentally get a pineapple, a watermelon, a papaya and some limes.

We taxied this load of staples back and toted them out to the boat. I stowed them while Phil went and got a couple of big bags of ice cubes. Without electricity we cannot run our refer without running down the batteries so we must have ice. It's not just for gin and tonics, you know!

With the work day complete it was time to relax. This you may think is sitting in a quiet bistro sipping Pernod and reading or philosophizing but actually it came down a bit differently. I think that Phil operates on a different plane of activity and his relaxation is equivalent to my operation flat out.

We taxied to Senor Frogs on the other side of the bay. It was too early to see much action but we did get a spot overlooking the bay from several hundred feet altitude which was both cool and pleasant. After a couple of beers and a huge plate of nachos we taxied down to the beach to find a palapa to sit under and continue power relaxation. The taxi driver trying to accede to our request for a palapa took us to "La Palapa" a beach front hotel. Instead of trying to rent a palapa we ended up walking the beach for a mile or so. It's a loose sand beach and walking it in the sun is something I'd rather leave to any escapees that managed to open the gates of Hell at the marina. From the beach we stopped for a while to watch participants in a carnival ride that consists of a swing through space. The swing is suspended from an a-frame tower about 100 feet high and the swing is cocked by a cable from a second tower behind it. After the riders are strapped in the swing is drawn back and up to the peak of the second tower and released allowing the swing to make a giant arc out over the beach so that the screams of the passengers can be heard up and down the strand and can advertise this demented activity.

After our appetizer of ten pounds or so of nachos Phil was getting hungry so we continued walking, this time along the main drag. When we passed a small restaurant called El Cabrito (The Kid), a rotund waiter with a deadpan face a Mexican sombrero ringed with dangling chiles and a rapid fire pitch accosted us with a menu. He described the wonders of the various dishes in the restaurant in excellent, if colorful English, and we stayed to hear him out. Sensing a live one he pulled out all of the stops and for a full five minutes described the various delights sounding like a writer for blurbs on a gourmet restaurant menu. He finally found the line that captured us: "We have the best Margaritas in the world, if you try one and don't like it it's free, but rest assured, my friends, these are real Margaritas. We don't sell you no lemonade slush!"

We entered and found it was a great low key restaurant with a great atmosphere and good food. At least we assumed it was all as good as touted since the Margaritas we had were, indeed, terrific and the chips and guacamole to go with them was also top notch.

So to continue our relaxation we again hit the streets and power walked along the road past closed banks, shopping malls, and unidentified buildings until I finally collapsed writhing on the sidewalk begging to call a halt to our relaxation. Phil seemed to just be starting but was kind enough to cut his relaxation short and we caught another cab intending to go back to the boat. Enroute we passed a cinema and decided that that might serve as a change and a form of relaxation I could handle in my weakened state. We ended up watching K-Pax. The seats were comfortable and I looked forward to a power snooze. However we didn't reckon with the joys of high horsepower air conditioning. The owners of the Cinema had evidently partnered with the owners of an ice factory and they shared the same refrigeration machinery. The Cinema was kept at about 10 degrees below freezing which interfered with my power nap, in fact I had to work hard not to fall asleep, since under such conditions if you let yourself fall asleep you might never wake up and they might not find the body until the evening thaw.

The sun's not up, yet, but a giant cruise ship just pulled in and is anchoring.

Phil just woke and is sitting planning the day's activities while munching on some breakfast Doritos. We're watching the cruise ship dock and speculating on how many white knobby knees there will be in town today.

I think it's time to make a pot of coffee...

Cut up the mango, the papaya, the pineapple and brewed the coffee. Phil tried a little of the mango and the papaya but didn't really like it. I, on the other hand, gorged myself on the three fruits eschewing the breakfast potato chips.

Today we pick up Cindy at the airport. We also change my tickets. We have to get back here by three so we can get Cindy's papers in to the marina for processing since the manager takes Tuesday off and we want to leave tonight. That will probably be a hassle especially if the plane is late.

After breakfast I went up to the marina pool. It is totally dead. It seems they keep the water clear but that's all. There is also a La Marina hotel across the street and I suppose they keep it up for them. It's really a very nice layout with a huge faux lighthouse tower at one end and a bar/palapa at the other. It is equipped with quality chaise longues and umbrellas and has potted palm trees for landscaping. I guess the hurricane that wiped out the marina left the company with no money for repairs so the marina itself is decaying and there is no money for staff.

A second cruise ship arrived. I don't know how many thousands of passengers will be in town today, but know that I have no interest in participating.

What a dump Acapulco is.

There doesn't seem to be a lot of American tourists in Acapulco. In all of the restaurants and stores we visited the crowd was Mexican with only a sprinkling of Gringos.

Cindy will have a replacement Iridium phone, so this will probably be sent via that if we can get it to work. Not counting on anything... At least we no longer have to find a diesel mechanic as the engine is working flawlessly.

I think Phil went off to get his laundry done and took a couple of water jugs. The plan is to get some potable water and then fill the main tanks with local water that is ok for showers and washing, but not drinking.

I wonder if Zihuatanejo will be as I remember it from 20 years ago. I guess that would be too much to ask, still they say that the development has taken place in nearby Ixtapa taking the pressure off Z-huat.

The manager of the pool just arrived and told me he'd fill the Jacuzzi so I'd have a pool to bathe in while he works on the main pool. Hope it isn't hot. The sun is already warm on my back and that is through several layers of clouds. I imagine Cindy will really feel the heat and humidity after leaving from Washington. That's one of the reasons we plan to leave tonight. It is quite pleasant after sunset, especially at sea and especially if it continues to be as calm as it has been. I think, however, that if we leave in the evening that means we will arrive at Z-huat at night.

Well, time for a last "bathe" and then to work.

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