Acapulco

We had an almost perfect day in Acapulco yesterday. I had a feeling that we were going to enjoy our visit. Photos that we had seen looked good - and were supported by what we saw as we approached Acapulco Bay. BUT - we had heard some negativity about the place from a few passengers who
had been there before and I suspected/feared that the shore tour we had booked (which included a visit to the famous La Quebrada cliff divers) may be a disaster with too many people. But none of this negativity came to pass and we had a very memorable day. From the sea, the approach to Acapulco and Acapulco Bay is quite spectacular. In fact, I can't think of any place we have been to that
equals it - perhaps Honolulu will, as I vaguely remember it to be spectacular also (but haven't seen it for over 30 years). Once ashore, it became obvious that the city has "character". I cannot explain this
"character" here - except that it includes such things as great wealth alongside poverty, mountain and beach beauty alongside one another, hustle and bustle, foreign-ness - a mix of an established tourist resort
with an underlying economic tension. During our journey, we have seen many armed guards and Police in different countries. The first one of these places, where our tour buses had an armed Police escort was in
Manilla - not a place that I would necessarily have expected to see such a thing. But, in Acapulco, they are not only armed -but HEAVILY armed!. It is not every day that we see a truckload of Army/Police, all armed
with automatic weapons including a mounted heavy machine gun, patrolling up and down the main street!! It actually appeared quite surreal to me - as much as it would if such a thing happened in Surfers Paradise on the Australian Gold Coast. Our shore tour lasted around four hours - after which our heads were spinning. We covered quite a large area of Acapulco and the surrounding area and got a good idea of what it is all about. The highlight of the tour was our visit to the cliff divers. It was well organised and we had a good view from the terraces of the Mirador Hotel. ( Note to myself - check out the room rates of this hotel on the Internet when I get back home)  So far, our cruise through the Caribbean, Panama and Mexican waters has
been very enjoyable - we have never been to this area before and I don't know many Aussies who have. Of course, you only get a brief exposure to the ports visited on a cruise. Cruising itself is a wonderful and
pleasant experience - but not the way to see parts of the World in any more than the lightest detail.