Panama Canal Day 11

The seas in the night were super rough but I made it, which actually surprised me. Today we arrived in Huatulco, Mexico. My roommate had an advanced snorkeling tour planned so I headed out on my own.

As I got away from the cruise ship area, various vendors were selling tours so I approached one. It seemed like a reasonable deal. Then I saw another couple talking to the same outfit and she was speaking Spanish so I asked if she would mind if I joined them. It was a good move because the taxi driver spoke no English. He took us to several stops with viewpoints and we got out to look and take pictures.

The government allowed Huatulco to be developed in the 1980’s for tourism due to the high percentage of lovely beaches in the area. I was curious if the locals were moved to make room for this development and how they felt about it. Our taxi driver was probably in his early 20’s and he told us they were moved but that it was a good thing. He explained that there were few jobs in the area before and that tourism has brought prosperity to the people. That was his take on the situation at any rate.

Then he took us to the where the town square and church were. I asked to be dropped off there as I wanted to photograph them and the other couple weren’t interested in a stop. The driver stopped in front of a textile store. Not only did they sell them, but there were 3 weavers at the front of the store. They used wooden equipment and were busy with their hands and feet. Every so often they would stop the machine and change the bobbin with a different color of thread.

I walked over to the square and found some interesting people to photograph. But I have found that many locals are quite aware of having their picture taken so I just don’t. Across from the square was the Catholic Temple of Guadalupe.

The building didn’t seem to be very old but I couldn’t tell. The ceiling was beautifully decorated and had a pretty blue paint along the sides with stars.

I decided to look around some more before heading back to Santa Cruz, the port area and it was hot, hot, hot as I walked around. I stopped in a few places but nothing caught my eye. Then a vendor invited me to his shop just a little ways away from the corner. I thought ‘what the heck’ and went in to look. I was hoping to find a silver chain at a reasonable price on this trip and I did. I almost didn’t buy it but as I was leaving the store empty handed, he made one final offer that I couldn’t resist.

The first taxi driver told me how much a cab should cost from the square back to the ship area so found one nearby. I was hungry and the ship was nearby but I didn’t want to go back quite so early. I found a small Italian beach restaurant and ordered a pannini and a margarita. They advertised free Wifi but the signal was useless so I just ate and enjoyed the atmosphere.

After that, I walked along the beach and in the water too. Now I see why the Huatulco beaches are famous. The sand is gorgeous and the water is clean and warm. After collecting some beach sand for my collection and taking a few more photos, I headed back to the ship. I thought I’d cool off in the pool but the temperature was seriously cold. The ocean was much warmer and I only got as far as my knees before chickening out. At least I cooled off in a hurry!

I couldn’t figure out why I was so very, very tired until I realized that margaritas, combined with lots of walking in the hot sun make a perfect recipe for a nap. Which I did. For 2 hours! My roommate woke me up to tell me it was almost sunset time. I always wake up slowly, or at least that’s the way I prefer it. After half a Pepsi Max I was ready to go again.

After sunset I grabbed a small bite to eat then headed to the ship theatre for a magic act. It was quite good but the music was awfully loud at times. Argghhh! I’m getting old! D and I headed back to the buffet after the show then I did a couple of laps around Deck 7. One lap is 560 meters so 2 is just over 1 kilometer. My goal is to do more tomorrow.