Going Loco Down in Acapulco

Sadly I don't think Lionals lyrics quite ring true these days. The only think going loco here would be the La Quebrada cliff divers we saw. More about these crazies later...

The minute I arrived in the city I felt like I was back in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The hilly streets and horse shaped bay with its stunning sea views were uncanny in areas. In some ways Acapulco also reminded me of the Italian Riviera with its houses built on cliff edges as is the norm in places such as Cinqueterre.

Herbie strikes again

The view from my hotel window

Before Cancun and Ixtapa, Acapulco was Mexicos original party town. You could tell that back in its heyday during the 1950s it was THE place to be seen. The beaches are surprisingly stunning and a hidden gem behind the monstrous ugly hotels that are these days built up along the shoreline. All the rich and famous used to come and play here: Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley and Elizabeth Taylor were all frequent visitors and John "The Duke" Wayne even owned the Los Flamingos hotel which is nestled up on the highest cliff tops of Acapulco. 

Ahoy Sailor!

Beach life

Incidentally I went to Los Flamingos which is now run by one of the original bus boys who used to work at the hotel back in the day. The hotel is like a living museum and it was like stepping back in time to Acapulcos heyday with images of Hollywoods golden age gracing the walls. I ate dinner in the restuarant but disapointingly the food tasted like it had been cooked back in the 1950s. The terrace however was a saving grace and gave a spectacular vista of the Pacific Ocean and the sun going down which I enjoyed whilst sipping one of their famous Cocoloco cocktails. 

The entrance to the hotel

Sunset from the terrace

Well they had to be somewhere even if they were plastic...

Having done a little research it would appear that Acapulco has had its fair share of bad luck over the years. During the 1970s overdevelopment and overpopulation took its toll and the bay became polluted. In 1997 the city was devastated by Hurricane Pauline. Then in the 2000s rival drug traffikers fought each other for the coast route that brings drugs in from South America - a gun fight took place by the sea front killing several locals and tourists. Thats not forgetting the swine flu epidemic they experienced a few years later. Phew!

However, despite all the above Acapulco appears to be having a renaissance right now. Apparently it has overtaken Cancun as the top destination for American students on spring break vacation. I cant say I saw much of this as its low season right now and not exactly spring break time. But I certainly see the appeal with the great beaches and cheapish accommodation.

The only action I did get to see in Acapulco which made me gawp somewhat was the La Quebrada cliff divers. They are a group of professional high divers who perform daily dives for the public off the thirty five metre cliffs of La Quebrada into the sea below. The depth of the water they are diving into ranges from two to five metres depending on the waves! There were about six divers in total all led by an older gentleman who I can only presume was their coach. The teenagers (they looked that young) began their show by walking down the stairs leading to the viewing platform, whilst wearing their budgie smugglers and holding a Olympic looking lit torch. The public were crazy for them. The cheers and raptous applause that took place as the divers passed us and then proceeded to scale the cliff face unaided were deafening. We watched in awe as one by one each diver scaled the cliff face just in their speedos. No ropes, no ladders, nothing. It was a spectacle to behold. 

Here come the boys...

Squint and you'll see one climbing!

The diving itself was awesome. They made each dive look so simple. I couldnt bring myself to watch the first diver as the water below looked so shallow, but the minute I heard the crowd applaud I managed to open my eyes. I took alot of pictures in the aim of showing you the dives but they were so fast that unfortunately all you can make out is a blur. I think my pictures do however give you a sense of scale so that you too can admire the height and the awesomeness of the dive. 

The blur in the middle is the diver!

Despite Acapulco being a little tired around the edges, it still has a charm that manages to capture your imagination. The only other place that Ive experienced this is Havana in Cuba. Which incidentally you have to go to if you havent already been! Plus check out the amazing lightning that takes place here in Acapulco:

Magnificent

I shall certainly be coming back to Acapulco, if only to purchase an Acapulco chair which I only realised existed when I got to Mexico City and read about it in a book. The chair is based on Mayan hammock weaving technology and is my new lust after piece of furniture. 

Courtesy of  innitdesigns.com

They're quite expensive to purchase in the UK so I was hoping I could get one in Mexico City. Alas I failed to find anywhere that sold them...well actually thats a lie, there was one gallery that sold them but they were only open by appointment and never responded to my emails or picked the phone up when I rang. All which made me feel like pulling out my hair, drowning in despair, Going Loco Down in Acapulco...what? you didn't think Id finish this blog entry without a reference to the lyrics themselves?!