STANDING at the counter of his hotel’s reception desk, Adolfo Santiago Gonzalez stares out into the blinding Mexican midday sun. The walls are adorned with curling black and white photographs and posters which flap gently in the breeze blowing from the bay far below the hotel’s cliff-top perch.
“He liked things normal,” Adolfo muses almost to himself as his eyes pan the shocking pink walls of Los Flamingos hotel and its collection of photographic memorabilia. “He liked it simple, sincere. That’s why people like it here and that is why people like Mexico.”
The “he” Adolfo refers to wistfully is none other than Hollywood legend John Wayne.
The “here” is the old quarter of Acapulco – a city that has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity and is now the polished jewel in the crown of the revitalised strip of coastal cities known as the Mexican Riviera.
Adolfo was a “towel boy” at nearby Caleta Beach in the 1950s when he met Wayne, who bought Los Flamingos as his hideaway retreat with other rat-packers of the era – Errol Flynn, Red Skelton, Richard Widmark and the original Tarzan, Johnny Weismuller.
The then 15-year-old Mexican rose through the ranks and eventually bought the sprawling retreat. Today, it’s a reasonably priced boutique hotel overlooking beautiful Acapulco Bay and La Roquetta island.
Situated in the old quarter of the tourist-swamped city of luxury hotels, crazy nightclubs and Tex-Mex eateries, the unpretentious hotel is representative of the true Mexico and a genuine step back in time.
Further along the Avendida Lopez which extends from the old quarter and about the Peninsula de las Playas, is the famous cliff-diving at La Quebrada, which sees intrepid young men dive off a 40m cliff into the churning swell below.
The cliff-diving, a tradition since the 1930s, is best watched from a table at the multi-tiered restaurant than the pay-per-view steps below. (You might as well have a Corona in hand and a plate of warm enchilada in front of you.)
After several daring leaps, the divers, some aged as young as 12, come to the restaurant for a chat and small propina (tip).
Dotted about the zocolo (plaza), little eateries dominate the side streets of the old part of town, serving traditional fare of spicy chicken or fish broths or guacamole-laden tortilla wraps, washed down with chilled Sol beer. An entire meal can cost less than $5.
A sign in one shop reads: “Toda una epoca de servir al publico” (serving the public for the last epoch). What it doesn’t say is, like the service, little has changed in that time in certain quarters of the city.
The Mexican Riviera is ranked fourth among the world’s most popular cruise ship destinations.
Holland America Line (HAL) has premium-class liners doing 10-day cruises along the popular run, with each cruise featuring a wide range of on-shore activities at each of its port stops. The activities cater for all ages and guides can be arranged.
Visit the cities that make up the west coast passage by ship and return for an in-depth exploration at leisure. Here, the senses are tantalised by the sights and sounds of a country whose people are as warm as its year-round temperature.
About 240km north-west of Acapulco along the coast lies the sleepy village of Zihuatanejo (pronounced zee-wah-tahn-nay-ho).
Pronouncing the name may be hard, but navigating its quaint, cobblestone streets is easy. In contrast to its showy, neon-bright coastal cousins, this port appeals to those who just want to relax on a palm-fringed beach.
The malecon, or waterfront, is dotted with charming hole-in-the-wall bars and eateries.
Inland are busy markets, which are a spectacle in themselves, with men stripping husks from trailers laden with corn and women with bundles of goods under an arm or on their heads – or both.
Just 6km north of Zia, as it is affectionately known to tourists, is Ixtapa (eeks-ta-pa).
This area was a mangrove swamp leading to beautiful but inaccessible beaches until about 30 years ago: developers moved in and built a showy resort town of high-rise hotels and landscaped golf courses. Nothing Mexican about this place and, really, it’s just for those who want lavish luxury and their tacos served in hard shells with fries on the side.
Puerto Vallarta, made famous by the pinata-wielding Captain Merrill Stubing in the ’70s TV series The Love Boat, was also virtually undiscovered until Hollywood arrived.
Vallarta was the backdrop to the 1960s film, Night Of The Iguana, but hit the headlines when Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor indulged in a well-publicised passionate affair.
The city’s film credits today include big Arnie’s Predator, Kevin Costner’s Revenge and a B-grade Ringo Starr flick called Caveman.
Mazatlan is pretty and worth a visit, as is Cabo San Lucas, a marine life lover’s dream. With more than 850 fish species and superb whale-watching, snorkelling is a must. Locals also offer every type of excursion possible on sea and land.
On the downside, it’s the latest “discovered” destination for American tourists, so its streets are lined with rowdy bars and yahooing youth in snakeskin boots.
The 5632km-long Mexican Riviera is fast becoming a well-worn route but offers enough variety for those who like their holidays slow and real, and others who prefer theirs fast and fake.
Your best bet is to take your time and seek out the old and genuine, like Adolfo.
“You want to know my story? It’s on the walls – that’s my story,” he says, pointing to his photographs. “Go make your own story.”
The writer travelled courtesy of Travel The World.
Article provided courtesty of: http://www.news.com.au/travel/story/0,,18445640-28017,00.html
