Saturday, May 30, 2009

To Acapulco

April 9th to 13th 2009

The modern resort of Ixtapa has an older, less well known brother. Just 10kms East in the next bay is the more modest resort of Zihuatanejo (See-wata-necko) where you're more likely to find typical Mexican families soaking up the natural beauty. It's a short ride up and over the hummock dividing rich and poorer...



Zihuatanejo was made famous as the beach escape at the end of "The Shawshank Redemption" where Morgan Freeman's 'Red' meets Tim Robbin's Andy Dufresne after all those prison shenanegans. I can see why they chose it. It's a gorgeous golden sanded bay, with small hotel buildings climbing their higgledy piggledy way up the steep rocky arms outstretched to encircle blue waters....



The buildings are much more restrained and less imposing than the gargantuan resort complexes of polished glass and crome monsters than dominate Ixtapa. It has a more relaxed feel and I like it. We stroll, and eat fish.

But unlike Andy and Red we have to leave and we continue to meander past coconut and banana plantations beside more coastal Edens....



It's a 3 dimentional road and some of the climbs are pretty steep, but never long enough to seriously tax the legs, and besides there are enough palm shacks at the road side to supply a cold coconut to refresh weary travellers. Plus the climbs always improve the views....



Flanked as it is by the huge Sierra Madre del Sur mountain range, this whole coast line is a huge drainage area, and we have crossed countless bridges over broad rivers. The rivers flow even now at the end of the dry season and will become raging torrents in the rainy months to come. Dilapidated buildings hint at their destructive power as they undercut river bank and foundation....



After the small town of Papanoa, the road again turns inland and only occasional glimpses of the blue ocean are offered through thick jungle. The ride becomes hot and dull once more and 2 relatively non descript days of riding pass in a sheen of sweat.

We crawl through the chaotic, conjested streets of Coyuca, the last town before our next destination....



And then we get to understand what congested really means as we approach the grandaddy of all resorts - Acapulco. Yes it truly is loco in Acapulco. The streets are a zoo as we duck and dive along cliff and headland approaching the 7 mile wide bay that was transformed during the 30's and 40's into Mexico's premier holiday destination.

Roads are dominated by blue and white VW beetle taxi cabs and what should be the beautiful suberbs turns out to be a grotty string of greasy car repair shops that toil to keep these smoking relics in business....



We run the gauntlet of these fare seeking psychos as they cleave and carve their demented path through traffic. Pedestrians everywhere are reluctant to twitch or otherwise make a gesture that might cause a tyre smoking U-turn as finely tuned instincts lock in on potential prey. The law of the jungle is alive and well in Acapulco!

Fate smiles and we get to live! We stop at the first hotel we come across and take a few deep breaths....

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Greetings! This is my first comment here so I just wanted to give a quick shout out and say I truly enjoy reading your blog posts.
Can you recommend any other blogs/websites/forums that
cover the same subjects? Appreciate it!

my web page: custom essay writing service reviews

Unknown said...

ZD0721
san antonio spurs jerseys
the north face jackets
nike running shoes
mizuno running
spurs jersey
canada goose outlet
oakland raiders jerseys
tommy hilfiger outlet store
derrick rose jersey
raiders jerseys
north face jackets
blake griffin jersey
chelsea soccer jersey
cheap jordans
ugg boots
the north face outlet
kobe bryant shoes
chanel handbags
denver broncos jerseys

Unknown said...

michael kors purses
michael kors sale
Michael Kors Sale
michael kors bracelet
michael kors handbags on sale
michael kors tote
Michael Kors Factory Outlet
michael kors wallets
michael kors wallets
michael kors jet set tote
michael kors outlet
michael kors hamilton
macys michael kors
michael kors uk
Discount Michael Kors
michael kors factory outlet
Michael Kors Outlet Online Store
michael kors outlet online store 49.00 outlet
Michael Kors Outlet Locations
Michael Kors Outlet Online Store
michael kors tote

Unknown said...

cheap snapbacks
michael kors outlet
ralph lauren uk
reebok trainers
ray ban sunglasses
ralph lauren outlet
mulberry handbags sale
hollister clothing store
nike roshe run shoes
toms outlet
oakley sunglasses wholesale
polo ralph lauren
lululemon outlet
hollister
ghd hair straighteners
nike air max
tods shoes
adidas nmd runner
ugg outlet online
swarovski jewelry
ralph lauren
michael kors outlet store
true religion uk outlet
louis vuitton outlet
burberry sunglasses
michael kors uk outlet
cheap jordans
ugg outlet online
gucci outlet
oakley sunglasses
longchamp outlet
police sunglasses for men
ugg outlet store
michael kors handbags
rolex watches for sale
burberry outlet
true religion jeans
0805jianxiang

Unknown said...

20170528 junda
coach factory outlet
pandora jewellery
coach outlet store online
coach outlet store online
true religion jeans sale
michael kors outlet clearance
michael kors uk
gucci outlet online
michael kors outlet clearance
roshe run

Unknown said...

20170528 junda
coach factory outlet
pandora jewellery
coach outlet store online
coach outlet store online
true religion jeans sale
michael kors outlet clearance
michael kors uk
gucci outlet online
michael kors outlet clearance
roshe run

Unknown said...

cheap ray bans
cheap ray ban sunglasses
canada goose parka
true religion jeans
ray ban sunglasses
cheap oakley sunglasses
ugg outlet store
michael kors outlet
nike outlet
coach outlet clearance
20170822lck