Archive for October, 2009
Puerto Chiapas, Mexico
Monday, October 26th, 2009
Great port, facinating city and Mayan ruins all in one day.
I slept in the morning that we docked in Puerto Chiapas, and was pleasantly awoken by the sound of marimbas and trumpets. Going out onto the balcony, I was surprised to see a brightly costumed dance troupe breaking out some traditional dances on a beautifully red bricked dock below me as the ship tied to the dock. A nice start to the day, and it was fun to see everyone on the ship hanging over the railings of every floor, waving and clapping to the welcome delegation below. (more…)
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Huatulco, Mexico
Sunday, October 25th, 2009
My favourite Mexican port, beautiful in every way.
Getting close to Huatulco on the ship was different than other previous Mexican ports in that you could hardly see the city from the water, leaving miles of stunning shoreline with small resorts hardly peaking out of the trees.
Known as one of the cleanest tourism developments in Mexico, Huatulco rejected the structured tourism develoment program of cities like Cancun and Ixtapa in favour of a greener style of development. No resort can rise more that four stories and most areas, as I mentioned, are hardly visible, leaving the landscape looking almost untouched. And with 330 days of sunshine a year, this spot is ideal for true relaxation. (more…)
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Zihuatanejo and Ixtapa, Mexico
Friday, October 9th, 2009
I walked out onto my balcony as our ship headed into the Zihuatanejo bay and was instantly charmed by the natural beauty and beautiful architecture of this former Mexican fishing village, now a bustling tourism stop.
Zihuatanejo was part of Mexico’s extensive 1976 resort tourism initiative when a beachfront area four miles for the town centre was developed to create Ixtapa – home of white sand beaches and towering resort hotels. Ixtapa is now an immaculately groomed tourism stop for discerning travellers, so perfectly maintained that it looks like a TV commercial for Mexican beachfront vacations come to life. But I found it slightly sterile for my taste and lacking in authentic character and personality, which is where Zihuatanejo takes top marks in the area. (more…)
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Cabo San Lucas versus Heat Stroke
Friday, October 2nd, 2009
A good vacation offers a plethora of opportunities to experience different places, food and culture. But knowing the right time to turn all those opportunities down may be the difference between a great overall trip and one of those hellish experiences you talk about at dinner parties for years to come.
Our first Mexican stop on our Panama Canal cruise was Cabo San Lucas. Going out on to our veranda to watch as the ship passed around the city’s famous ocean rock arch in the mid-morning felt like getting smacked in the face with a hot, wet towel. The temperature was (more…)
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