We did run into a Canadian guest who inquired whether we'd been awakened by the storm in the week hours. We had slept right through it! Apparently there were torrents of rain, high winds and lightning ... we were grateful that it waited until we were snug in our bed.
After our "real" swim, we grabbed inner tubes and wafted around the grounds on the Lazy River ... it's good, goofy fun and highly recommended if you have the opportunity.
By then, the sun was high and it was time to get inside and complete the shopping list for the remainder of the week. We finished up the remainder of our leftovers for lunch so we could start fresh; our plan was to stop and get groceries after our planned evening tour. After some negotiation on what would and wouldn't fit into a reasonable menu plan, the list was finalized and it was time to get downstairs.
As we arrived in the "downtown" area, traffic basically ground to a halt. Between construction (new sewers!), taxis, buses, scooters, bikes...if it had wheels, it was on the road. We were able to check out a specialty-foods shop, which provided some souvenirs and also ground cloves -- couldn't find THEM at Walmart! Patience, patience ... eventually we passed the beach bars, malls, and discos and got into the neighborhoods. We were able to see the the Zocalo (main square) and the outside of the home here where Diego Rivera & Freda Kahlo lived here, with an extensive mosaic mural designed by Diego and set right into the concrete wall protecting the home. We stopped by the history museum, but it had closed a little early and we could only see the outside -- though the view from the ramparts was beautiful!
The Flamingo Hotel was another stop, with a beautiful view of the coast. It was a favored hangout of Johnny Weismuller, John Wayne, and other movie idols of the era. Earlier, we'd seen a home purchased by Sylvester Stallone after one of the Rambo movies was shot here. While it was fun and educational to see these historical sites, the neighborhoods we drove through were in many cases not inviting. On "the strip" walking is almost the only option; up in the hills, driving seemed a MUCH safer choice.
On toward the cliff divers. Our driver knew of a place we could purchase seats for a much lower rate than the "official" viewing area, and indeed we had a commanding vista. It was AGAIN raining a bit, and we were grateful for the thatched roof over this area.
The divers, all lithe young men, were introduced to the music of "Eye of the Tiger." They climbed down a cliff from the "official" viewing area and swam across an active inlet to the sheer vertical cliff opposite. They scampered up the rocks unaided, and spent some time on a flat area with a shrine. As they gathered their focus, they would take their place on the sheer wall (sometimes a single diver, sometimes 2 or 3) ... signal their readiness to dive ... and plunge into the roiling water below. Some performed somersaults, jackknives, and other tricks; the final diver leapt from the top of the wall (Position A!). All in all, a real demonstration of both skill and courage.
We were escorted back to our driver by a young man who earlier had re-directed us to the correct seating area. We'd been concerned if he was really on our side, but all was well. And we were off to get our groceries for the remainder of the week. Our list was pretty well-organized so we didn't have to search for many items; we got back to the hotel and everything was packed into large gray containers and ferried upstairs.
In Mexico, it's wise to disinfect all produce, and we stayed up quite a while accomplishing that task with the variety of vegetable and fruits we'd purchased. There were far too many to dry in the little dish rack, so we laid out a couple of bath towels on the glass-topped table and arranged everything there. It was quite a spread!! However ... we didn't get to bed the same day we'd gotten up :(
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