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Limerence Update # 12 Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo to Acapulco December 16, 2000 to January 4, 2001 We spent three weeks in the Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo area celebrating the holidays. We chose
to take a slip in the Ixtapa Marine because it is very secure and quiet. We heard about
salt-water crocodiles and were amazed that we saw them cruising through the Marina almost
every night. The facility is built adjacent to a lagoon with a golf course, and the crocs
have made the lagoon their habitat. In the late afternoon they casually glide into the
Marina to feast on the fish that are nibbling the algae growing on Elsewhere in the undeveloped and remote areas of the huge Marina, one can see green iguanas lounging on the rocks. We dinghied out often to see them and named the largest iguana – KING. He liked to sit in a spindly tree overhanging the water. When he spied us approaching, he would climb gingerly out of the tree and glare at us with his formidable frill puffed out. He looked like a four-foot dinosaur and was magnificent. We have also noticed lots of new birds like Frigatebirds, Ibis, Herons, Flycatchers, and white Tropicbirds with graceful long tails. The water teems with brilliant fish and sea life. Ixtapa is primarily a tourist town with large fancy hotels and restaurants, and the beach only a few steps away. The real prize of the area is the city of Zihuatanejo. It is six miles south and a fifteen-minute bus ride through a windy mountain pass. The buses are an experience in themselves. Each small bus is owned by the driver who decorates it with all sorts of personal memorabilia. Some buses are well maintained and clean, and others look like they have been through a war in the Middle East. The ride to Z-town costs 4 pesos or 40cents. Each bus driver is assisted by a young teenage boy who hangs out the front door and tries to entice people to get on board. He yells “Z-Huat! Z-Huat!” When people get on they immediately take a seat and the bus roars off. The teenage helper then goes through the aisle collecting pesos and making change. Sometimes an enterprising singer boards with a guitar and belts out a few Mexican folksongs as the bus charges along. After several tunes, the singer goes through the bus with his hand out for a gratuity. Everyone gives a few pesos. Our favorite was a boy of about six with bluejeans, cowboy boots, and a white cowboy hat bigger than himself. He got on the bus with two men, and after the men serenaded us with guitar and accordion, the boy joined in singing at the top of his lungs. He was quite irresistible. Zihuatanejo sits in a scenic bay surrounded by mountains. Several of the cobblestone streets in town are walking streets only, and make the shopping and strolling a real pleasure. In the center square of town is a basketball court that features a game, dance, or activity every night. It was interesting after dinner one evening to sit on the concrete steps and watch a Mexican intercity basketball game. Another cultural event is the central city produce market. It is in a warehouse in the middle of town. Each farmer has a booth sectioned off by a garage door and fencing. On the tables are piles and piles of any type of fruit or vegetable you would want. Each farmer has helpers who beckon you to their tables and offer to assist in any way. I found red leaf lettuce and real yellow lemons, for the first time in Mexico. I loved the experience of seeing the meat market with pig’s heads and sides of beef displayed, poultry hanging with beaks and feet, and all types of fish and shellfish, even though some cruiser’s find this unappealing. The market was full of people and vibrant with activity. We find that as we cruise and go into new towns, we feel disoriented the first few days. We struggle to find the grocery store, get laundry done, get the boat cleaned, get propane fuel, and others. Then, suddenly we feel at home. We learn our way around, start to see familiar sights, and settle in to enjoy the place. Knowing how to speak a little Spanish has helped so much. I use Spanish everyday, and most of the time it works. We had a real tough time in Z-town finding the new grocery store – Commercial Mexicana. I kept asking directions for the “abogado” (lawyer) instead of “abarroteria” (grocery store) – and that little error took two hours of walking and sweating to solve. People are very patient though, and sometimes literally take our hand and walk us to where we need to go. Zihuatanejo was decorated for the holidays with paper snowflake-like streamers over the streets and lots of colored lights and decorations. In the cooler evenings with the festive atmosphere, the village gleamed. We met lots of cruisers over the weeks we were there, as Zihuatanejo is something of a cruiser’s Mecca for the holidays. We enjoyed Christmas dinner on Limerence with our friends from Sea Breeze, Chris and Cathy Halberstadt. During the weeks in Ixtapa, we snorkeled and swam almost daily, enjoyed many different restaurants, took walks and saw the sights. The days were very hot – in the nineties and we struggled at times to acclimate. The breezes helped, and the evenings usually cooled off to the low seventies. We spent New Year’s Eve celebrating in town at a small, festive restaurant overlooking Z-town’s bay. As we enjoyed Zihuatanejo and the area, we came to the conclusion that we want to continue on cruising south. Our original plan was to return north and stay in the Sea of Cortes during the hurricane season. We love the tropical weather and lush foliage the more we travel south. . . so why not continue? We sent an e-mail to our insurance provider and asked for quotes to move south and through the Canal this spring. Thursday, January 4, 2001 Time to leave Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo so we picked up diesel fuel at the dock in Z-Town and turned Limerence south again. We buddy boated with Sea Breeze down the coast. We were disappointed to have those darned southerly winds again as we motor-sailed into a one-knot opposing current. At times Limerence struggled to maintain four knots and the going was slow. The day was sunny and clear though, and we tried to maintain our patience. After eight hours, the wind shifted and the current changed to favor us!! Suddenly we were going six to seven knots and zooming along. The night passage went quickly and at dawn we were outside the entrance to Acapulco Harbor. The city looked like a jewel twinkling in the dark pre-dawn. We are in the Acapulco Club de Yates. It is a traditional Yacht Club with high security and good services. It has a lovely pool and is beautifully landscaped. We are med-moored to the dock and are lucky to get a slip with a passarelle – which is a drawbridge-like apparatus that drops down to allow us to board the aft end of Limerence. It is a bit of a trick at low tide, and quite a daunting BIG step. If we go to the Mediterranean we will have to have a passarelle made for Limerence, as all the docks are med-moor. We are pleased to report that the campaign begun about ten years ago in Acapulco to clean up the water is a big success. The water is very clear and we have lots of fish around the boat. Every morning crews go into the harbor to pick up debris. The Marina is quiet and we have nice breezes. Acapulco has everything to offer except good marine stores. It is a typical big city, but we are amazed that there aren’t more marine services. We are having trouble finding some of the replacement things we’d like to have for Limerence, so may have to go without. The watermaker is working great and we received a package in Ixtapa with a new pump, which was our most critical item. January 8-10 2001 We took a side trip this week to the silver capital of Mexico – Taxco. It sits at 6000 feet up in the mountains about 180 miles northeast of Acapulco. The city is charming with cobblestone streets and buildings perched precariously on the hills. The four hour premier bus ride was comfortable, though at times harrowing as the driver roared around twisty mountain roads, and passed in no-passing zones. We saw countryside with many types of cactus, then fir trees, then deciduous, then cactus again. We observed farmers on horseback herding their cattle, burros and steer wandering in the road, and even a woman washing clothes in a stream. In Taxco, we stayed at the Posada San Javier which is an old stone hotel clinging to the side of the mountain. It has lovely casement windows and doors opening to the lush gardens and pool. It was a real charmer and bargain at $32 a night. It was quiet and several blocks from the choking gasoline fumes and noise from the small busses and taxis. There is no emission control up in Taxco! The people of Taxco don’t mine silver anymore, but have over two hundred small silver shops selling pieces at wholesale prices. The stores line the central square which features the ornate Santa Prisca Church. It was completed in 1758 and is one of Mexico’s most impressive baroque churches. The interior of the church was more ornate per square inch than any we saw in Italy - and that is saying something! Each silver store is like a small factory making unique pieces by local craftspeople. We shopped around the first day and got a feel for the prices and quality, then bought several items of jewelry the second day. It was a fun experience to bargain for our treasures, and then know we got some amazing buys! After several good meals at restaurants overlooking the Plaza Borda, and an overnight, we were ready to go back to Limerence. It was a treat however to take a side trip to the mountains, wear long pants and sweaters again, and feel the cool air and high altitude. We are planning on staying in Acapulco a few more days, then sail south to Puerto Escondido less than 200 miles away. After that will be Puerto Huatulco where one tracks the weather windows and waits for an opportunity to cross the Gulf of Tehuantepec. We will give an update on our journey in a few weeks. Happy New Year to all! Captain Doug and Judy |
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the concrete docks. It is
quite a show as a crocodile thirty feet from Limerence captures dinner, and thrashes the
water with it’s tail and flips the fish down the hatch. Just like the Discovery
Channel up close and personal.