03/26/07

 

Mexico

March 2005 Mexico Trip:

Ixtapa

Okay. We got caught by the Time share people

At the Ixtapa, Mexico airport, just out side of customs, we were met by a line of nicely dressed men.  They were there to assist us in getting a taxi to our hotel.  And by the way, it included breakfast, the next day, at the best resort in Ixtapa! High on a hill overlooking the Bay.

This morning, on the way over, I half-jokingly asked Juan if he was a Scientologist or a member of religious cult.  He denied it.

Now we've had breakfast, toured the deluxe unit with 'infinity' jacuzzi pool and are working out the numbers.  I'm writing this and not listening as I'm afraid of being captured and whisked off to a commune to do farm work.  They think I'm taking notes.  I scream silently "Get me out of here!"  Now they are giving TomO a special offer if he pays cash!  A third man comes with a deal that's valid for today only.  Wait, now it sounds interesting and maybe we can afford it!  Wow a  4 week-a-year time-share, for 5 years for only US$2,400.  Hey, that doesn't sound to bad.  Can we go to the ATMs and get enough for the down payment.  After all this is the best resort in all of Ixtapa!

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Carl, TomO and I flew in to Ixtapa within about 90 minutes of each other on United, Alaska and America West, respectively.  It is a modern airport with a huge glass wall where you can watch people pick up their baggage and go through customs.  In Mexico you push a button at Customs and if a red light goes on, you get your bags inspected.  We all got green lights.

Last night we ate at a resort on the beach.  It had cooled down from the 80-90's to the 70's and was very pleasant, except we couldn't see to read the menus and eat.  Attached is a picture of Carl eating with the aid of his miner's lamp.

Zihautanejo

Yesterday evening we took the local bus from Ixtapa to Zihautanejo (a couple of miles South).  It was a rickity old bus which the driver moved slowly, honking, trying to scrounge up more passengers.  We got off in the city center which was about 1/2 mile from the beach.  When we walked to the beach we realized we wanted to be at the next beach (La Ropa) so we took a taxi over there.  This is where Joe and I stayed in April 1974.  Needless to say it's really changed.  At that time there were about 4 hotels on this beach ... now there are many.

 We ate at Patty's cafe near the north end of the beach.  This had been recommended to us by a couple we met at the Airport ("El Oso") when we arrived on Saturday.  We sat at a table on the sand and ate enchiladas and nachos.

Today we went to the Ixtapa Artesians Market.  The main thing we bought were tattoos.  Much later we realized they are high on our arms and will be rarely visable!  Maybe

we'll have to go back for some lower tattoos. 

 We've rented a car and will take some short trips north and south to quaint fishingvillages.

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Yesterday we rented a car and first drove south to a little village called Petallan.  There we walked through the church (clean and bright) before checking out all of the gold merchants.  The square was also surrounded by stalls selling all kinds of things (purses, hammocks, shirts, belts, silver, etc.)

 On our way North we drove over a dirt road to the coast to Barra de Potosi for lunch.  Great Sopes, quesadillas and abalone.

 North of Ixtapa we visited another small fishing village and ate ice cream at Burro Borracho (drunken donkey) at Trontones. 

On Friday we taxied to the Ixtapa airport and flew to Puerto Vallarga via "Mexico" (as Mexico City is called).  We were classified as standby and weren't sure we were going to get on the second leg.  But we did and landed in sunny PV at about 3 PM.

At the airport, we adroitly avoided the Time Share man and took a taxi to our Time Share hotel, the deluxe Mayan Palace.  We are so far north of PV on Banderas Bay that we are in another state of Mexico!  This state (Nayarit) is also in another time zone, but here they keep it the same as PV (in Jalisco).

 At the end of the hotel check-in process, we were invited to a free buffet breakfast the next morning.  Where we'd hear about the ammenities of the hotel, the tourist attractions (and a little promotion).  "Fool me once, shame on you, etc. blah blah".  On man, did we ever fall into this trap!  We were so confident that

we knew all about this timeshare stuff.  Four hours into the hard sell, I rudely bowed out.  TomO and Carl stuck it out for another hour before they were abruptly shown the door.

Now we are a little gun shy.  When a little girl approaches us to sell us chicklets we shout "No Time Share" and run the other way.

The Mayan Palace is a very grand resort with oceans of swimming pools and lagoons right next to the ocean.  We have a 1 bedroom suite on the 4th (top) floor facing the golf course.  Luckily our building has a red tower in the center or we would not be able to find our room. 

You can see some PV pictures at    

 

Yesterday we went on the best adventure.  We signed up for a canopy tour.  There are 3 canopy places in the PV area and we chose one that was recommended by our hotel because it's the newest, has the most cables (15) and highest up.  Those were are characteristics we thought good ... until the strap was snapped onto the cable!

About 30 of us met downtown at the tour office and all climbed onto a jungle truck for the 45 minute drive to a location up in the mountains above Mismaloya Beach. 

We put our things into a locker and used the restroom facilities.  The wanted us to "canopy" and not "cano-pee-pee", they  said.  We got fitted with a harness and were given a demonstration about how we would be attached to the cable and how we would "sit" to ride.

People over 250 pounds may not ride and one or two people were asked to step on the scales ... I don't think anyone was excluded.

We hiked up a steep trail to the first cable.  Rounds of tree trunks were used for steps.  The first cable run was short and it gave us a chance to practice before we got to the scary cables.  The main strap is clamped onto a pulley with handles along with a safety backup strap.  A crew member did this then gave us a shove off and we wnen zinging to the end of the cable where another crew member "caught" us.

Between most cables we had to climb up a trail to the next cable.  About 5 or so of them criss crossed a very deep gorge.  Each time I imagined myself falling, fainting, being smashed on the granite boulders below.  It was very scary but I enjoyed it.

When we were done we walked to the restaurant and ate lunch.  This was in such a lush, peaceful setting, we wanted to stay there and let it sink in.

You can see pictures of us on the canopy tour here

 

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This site was last updated 03/25/05