From 85 degrees back to the chilly Northwest

Although I'd probably rather still be in sunny Mexico, we were lucky to get home when we did. With snow and ice storms brewing north of Texas, our connecting flight from Dallas to Seattle seemed in doubt. We had a three hour layover after flying in from Acapulco on Wednesday evening. That gave us enough time for a wonderfully relaxing dinner at Laredo in the airport. Delicious Mexican food. Since I can eat "anything", I thoroughly enjoyed a large chicken Chimichanga. Hours later, when we hit turbulence, coming into SeaTac, I did question the wisdom of having consumed the abundance of deep fried shell. After several aborted attempts at departure from Dallas, the six of us (minus Ernie and Jan who were flying back to Phoenix) flew out after midnight, Central Time. We arrived home around 3:30 in the morning, freezing in the aftermath of the snows here in the Seattle area. Crazy Steve only had shorts and a short sleeved shirt, not even a jacket. People looked at him like he was totally nuts. The guy is a "hot body", and normally stays warm under any circumstances. It has taken me (and Jan) a full day to recover from the nighttime flight, and the discomfort of trying to sleep on the plane. We're fine now. It wasn't as bad as what Ernie and Jan experienced. They didn't get out of Dallas until 7:00 yesterday morning. But, we'll soon forget the return flights, and remember our wonderful two week trip.

After Guatemala we stopped in Huatulco, Mexico. It's an rather undeveloped area, which the Mexican government is trying to build after the model of Cancun's success. The word Huatulco comes from the Oaxacan word "Quahuitl" and means "place where one worships or respects the wood or the trees." It's a very pretty spot. We hired a water taxi, again with a delightful guide, Gilbert. He liked to call himself Gilligan. He took us across the bay, about a 15-20 minute ride, to Tangolunda Bay. We promptly plopped ourselves on beach chairs, ordered Margaritas and Mexican beer, and enjoyed a couple of leisurely hours in the sun and sand. It was picturesque. Upon our return to the dock, we noticed an ambulance. Very unfortunately, one of the cruise ship passengers had died of a heart attack while on an excursion. So sad. Ernie learned the news from the man's best friend.

Onward up the Mexican coast. The Regal Princess docked in Acapulco early in the morning on Monday, the 27th. Our enthusiasm was still high, since we are all headed to the Camino Real Acapulco Diamante for two more days of vacation.... yay! The resort is located in the bay south of Acapulco Bay, in a gated community. A long steep drive down from the highway leads to a very secluded area. The rooms were generous in size, with lots of marble. The three swimming pools were beautiful. Steps led down to an ocean front restaurant, and a private beach. The salt water was so warm, warmer than the pools, and we thoroughly enjoyed the swimming float. We could lay on it, and look into the water to see puffer fish and tangs. We decided that the Mexican food on the menu (especially breakfast) was very good, but their attempts at international cuisine are best ignored. I had a chicken breast stuffed with prosciutto and goat cheese, and couldn't eat it. It was dried out and tasted liked smoked chicken.... and keep in mind, I eat anything these days. I had to settle for a large helping of coconut ice cream with chocolate sauce. Stomach growl.... that's making me really hungry right now because I have a CT scan scheduled for this afternoon and I can't eat four hours prior to the procedure.

The driver who took us from the dock to the Camino Real was Antonio. We liked him, so made arrangements to tour with him the next day, and also have him take us to the airport on Wednesday. After seeing the traffic and America fast food joints and chain stores in the downtown strip of Acapulco, we didn't want to go back in that direction, and opted to skip the cliff divers. Instead, we asked Antonio to take us to the area where the local people live. He proudly showed us his neighborhood. It is very unfortunate that Mexico has had such corruption and infrastructure issues over the years. It's a beautiful country and rich in resources. The lack of cleanliness and the poverty are sad, especially in contrast to the plush surroundings of our hotel. Antonio really values education, and is sending his little boy to a private school. Did you know that education is not mandatory in Mexico? Appalling! Costa Rica and Guatemala were much tidier in comparison. Since Gary and Janet had not visited Mexico before we wanted them to see that the Camino Real was not representative of real life in this country. Antonio took us out to the lagoon, which was at least an hour away. There we had tasty nachos with guacamole and beans. It's a local place, where families congregate on weekends. The place was huge, with many, many outdoor tables (under a cover) but not crowded on that day. For future reference, the week after Thanksgiving would be a great time to visit again. Our hotel was virtuallly empty, and Jan and Al had found an incredible rate on Expedia. We felt like we were the only guests, and the staff was very nice, although language was a problem a few times. We decided that someone in the group needs to learn Spanish.

As we left the Camino Real, it was very strange seeing the staff decorate the large Christmas tree in the lobby.... it just doesn't feel like it should be December already, especially in 85 degree weather.