Three Earthquakes—Mexico Last Winter
We headed back to Mexico last winter, and it was a perfect trip. Except for the earthquakes, that is.
Puerto Vallarta
After landing, we immediately set off from our hotel, for a long walk into Old Puerto Vallarta. The town is set in a stunning, horse-shoe shaped bay. Like most tropical towns, it is full of colorful flowers and foliage. Our beach days were sunny, hot, and glorious. Sunset cocktails are a must in Puerto Vallarta—every evening is a show.
The first surprise of our trip, on the second day: a 5.8 earthquake! The jolt and earthquake alarm woke me up. It wasn’t a long one, yet we were rockin’ and rollin’ for a few seconds.
A revelation on this trip, at least for me: green juice! Cactus, pineapple, celery and orange. Utterly delicious. And it’s pretty. I was addicted!!
The Puerto Vallarta Botanical Garden is a lovely surprise. We took a local bus and once again, we were rockin’ and rollin’, twisting and turning, to our destination. This garden has some of the most beautiful container gardens that I have ever seen. It’s always a thrill to discover a beautiful garden.
On our last day, we took a long hike. We took the bus to Boca de Tomatlan, then hiked from there (and it was not an easy hike, but the views were breathtaking) to Colomotos Beach, then to the very, very secluded Hotelito Mio at Playa Caballo. We enjoyed a fresh, fresh seafood lunch, with a great view of Puerto Vallarta in the distance and the bay. We water-taxied back to town, in time for the festive Mardi Gras parade.
Mexico City to Acapulco
Quick stop in Mexico City—touring the Belles Artes and Templo Mayor museums, with family, and a long, leisurely lunch at the venerable La Opera. Walking the busy, busy streets.
“What do you guys think about heading to Acapulco manana? We can drive and make some stops along the way..”
“Sure! We’ve never been, so…”
“Okay! Off we go in the morning!”
It sure is nice when family has another home in Acapulco!
Jardines de Mexico and Taxco
The Jardines de Mexico, or Gardens of Mexico, is a gorgeous collection of landscaped gardens in different styles. The floral displays are impressive. There is a comfortable (and cool) place to have lunch and/or drinks by a small lake.
If I didn’t know I was in Taxco (further on the way to Acapulco), I would think I was in Italy. This little hilltown is so full of life! After touring the cathedral, a docent outside told us of the damage after the big earthquake the previous autumn in Mexico City. Much damage. Since it was cocktail hour, we climbed several flights of a narrow, inside staircase to the rooftop of an old, old building which overlooks the town and area. Midway through our drinks, chips and salsa, another earthquake! This one was a lot more worrisome—we REALLY shook during this one, about a 7, but quite a distance away, thankfully. There wasn’t a thing we could do—no time to flee down the steps—so we raised our glasses to toast our good fortune, and the view, and hoped for the best. All turned out well and, soon, the entire town turned out for the evening stroll, much like the passeggiata in Italy. A delightful town—we must visit again. But, please: no earthquake!!
Acapulco
Great, grand hotels, once occupied by the likes of the Kennedys, the Rat Pack, and Howard Hughes, line the beach in Acapulco. Our first day was spent taking in the peaceful beauty and views of the Capilla de la Paz (Chapel of Peace), high above Acapulco, followed by dinner at the magnificent Sirocco, perched high above the Pacific. This was one of the great meals of my life—I think I moaned through the entire meal! How to top a meal like this? The famous Acapulco cliff divers, of course, followed by drinks and music at the Hotel Princess Mundo, once owned by Howard Hughes.
Arriving by water taxi the next day, we hiked the Isla de la Roqueta (Isle of Pleasure), where we were rewarded with delicious views. Our water taxi ride back to the mainland stopped several times to pick up boat captains and crews, fishermen, and locals. What fun! After dinner (are there no bad restaurants in Mexico??), we retired early, only to be awakened by earthquake #3! This was the mildest we’d experienced, however, only in the 5s.
Back to Mexico City and then home
The last day of our vacation was spent in Mexico City, mostly touring the Museo Nacional du Antropologia (National Museum of Anthropology). Fantastico! It is the best museum in Mexico City, in my opinion. I was enraptured. I'm interested in so much that's displayed in this museum. The galleries investigate the various anthropological eras in the different Mexican states. The museum is just the right size for me. In most museums, I can only see so much before total saturation, or what I call "nine-eyed". I was able to get through the entire museum in one afternoon. After our museum tour, we joined our beloved Mexican family for a celebratory farewell dinner. Language barrier? No problem! Google Translate and lots of laughter saved the evening. Mexico has so many layers, and we got to learn about and see more about them these last two weeks. What a fabulous trip!
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