Where the palm-ah trees sway
Port call in Acapulco allowed us to walk on land for a few hours (I caught myself slightly swaying back and forth while standing on land); the crew, staff, and science parties fled the vessel like rats from a sinking ship. Mike Hodge, Dwight Hornbacher and I wandered a few blocks into the town to find some shops, and quickly found ourselves mired.
We weren't in the high-dollar tourist area, which is in the eastern half of the city and dotted with large luxury hotels and American chain stores & restaurants. Rather, we stayed in the more humble part of town, which is full of local vendors and places to eat.
The thriving economy there is based on fishing tourists who routinely pour off of the cruise ships in port. You can't walk more than 30 feet without being approaced by several locals trying to lure you towards their shop or stand, or selling something directly. I will never again believe the claim that the U.S. is the most commercialized society in the west - I've never gotten the full-court press from so many salesmen and signage in my life.
We eventually found a moderately sized market of leather shops, jewelry stores, and stands full of local trinkets and memorabelia. I picked up a few gifts for family & friends, and practiced my haggling skills as the local custom requires:
We weren't in the high-dollar tourist area, which is in the eastern half of the city and dotted with large luxury hotels and American chain stores & restaurants. Rather, we stayed in the more humble part of town, which is full of local vendors and places to eat.
The thriving economy there is based on fishing tourists who routinely pour off of the cruise ships in port. You can't walk more than 30 feet without being approaced by several locals trying to lure you towards their shop or stand, or selling something directly. I will never again believe the claim that the U.S. is the most commercialized society in the west - I've never gotten the full-court press from so many salesmen and signage in my life.
We eventually found a moderately sized market of leather shops, jewelry stores, and stands full of local trinkets and memorabelia. I picked up a few gifts for family & friends, and practiced my haggling skills as the local custom requires:
"That's very nice! You can have it for $40 American."
"That's crazy! In America I can get this for three bucks."
"Okay, I make you deal... Twenty dollars!"
"Hm... I like this, but I only have seven dollars on me."
"How about 10?"
"Deal."
After shopping, we headed back down to the main strip, which circles the bay one block in from the beaches. Dwight knew of a good place that featured a long pier, on which you can sit in the shade and eat your lunch. We got to sit out on the water, watch the pelicans bathe just off the pier, and the local fishermen bring their catch to shore - sunfish, red snapper, and shark.
There's no place in Acapulco that doesn't offer an impressive view of the city - it wraps around the bay and crawls up the mountains that surround her. But as pretty a view as we had at lunch - the boats, the birds, the high-rise hotels across the bay - it wasn't as captivating as that from the top of Fuerte de San Diego.
More about that next time... for now, some pictures:
Our first view of Acapulco Bay from the sea
One of many nice views of the city from atop its Spanish fort
Our lunch companion bathed while we ate...
Locals harvest sharks from the ocean, and sell it by the roadside
There's no place in Acapulco that doesn't offer an impressive view of the city - it wraps around the bay and crawls up the mountains that surround her. But as pretty a view as we had at lunch - the boats, the birds, the high-rise hotels across the bay - it wasn't as captivating as that from the top of Fuerte de San Diego.
More about that next time... for now, some pictures:
Our first view of Acapulco Bay from the sea
One of many nice views of the city from atop its Spanish fort
Our lunch companion bathed while we ate...
Locals harvest sharks from the ocean, and sell it by the roadside
posted by Balin at 7:30 PM
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