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Legend of Acapulco

The mystery of Acapulco is heightened by a local legend, first told many centuries ago in the dwellings of the indigenous Yope, and retold many times over, down to the present day. The shield of Acapulco is said to represent this story, but the link between the drawings and the narrative is a bit abstract. Perhaps that just adds to the mystery.

Many, many years ago, long before the spade-bearded Spaniards arrived at these shores, a small tribe of Yope Indians lived peacefully on the coast, fishing the azure waters, harvesting coconuts, tamarinds and mangos, and living the pleasant and peaceful life of a tropical beach culture. The beach life style was not destined to last forever. A tribe of warlike Nahuas came along to disrupt it. They chased the peaceful Yopes away from the beaches and into the hills, where life was much harder. The Nahuas then settled down to the easy life on the beaches where the Yope had been.

Not too long after the arrival of the Nahuas, a son was born to the chief. He was given the name Acatl, which means reeds. The Chief proudly entrusted him to Quetzalcóatl as his protector. The Nahuas were more restless than their predecessors, so after a while, they set off again in search of something new and different. By this time, young Acatl had turned into a handsome warrior and, as was customary among the Nahuas, headed off in search of a bride. While on the road he met and fell in love with a beautiful girl who was the daughter of a Yope chief.

By coincidence, this beautiful princess, Quiahuitl by name, was the daughter of the chief of the very tribe his father had defeated years before.

When her old man discovered the identity of his future son-in-law, he was filled with hatred and resentment. He not only refused his permission for the marriage, but he cursed the young warrior, asking the gods to punish him. Poor Acatl, miserable, returned to the place of his birth to grieve. He brooded and sobbed so much that eventually his tears became a river, which soaked his fine physique to such an extent that he melted and turned into a muddy pool. Eventually reeds grew up around this pool and were referred to as his children.

Now Quetzalcoatl eventually heard how cruelly his protégé had been treated and as punishment to the Yope Chief turned his beloved and perfectly innocent daughter, Quiahuitl, into a cloud. She floated aimlessly for a long while until eventually she came across a muddy pond with reeds growing round it.

Bitter and twisted as she was by now, she flew into a hideous rage as she recognized her lost lover's children swaying in the breeze. They should, of course, have been her children. She transformed into a torrential downpour that wrenched poor Acatl's children from the ground and left them to die in a crumpled mess. It did, however, do a good job of entwining the lovers forever in a place that came to be known as "Acapulco" -- Nahuatl for the “place where reeds were destroyed.”

This tragic tale of jealousy, intrigue, selfishness and infanticide is indeed a plot worthy of any afternoon TV drama.

Pre colonial History of Acapulco

Pre-colonial history may be no more verifiable than the “Legend of Acapulco” because the Spanish invaders – to their eternal shame and condemnation – destroyed all the records they could lay their hands on. Experts estimate that the area around Acapulco had been inhabited for 5,000 or so years before the Spaniards arrived early in the 16th century. That there was prehistoric life here is hardly surprising, in light of the agreeable climate, the lush vegetation, abundant fauna and the generosity of the sea. The material evidence consists of the usual array of bones and other artifacts, shells and seeds, all arranged so as to make human presence a certainty. The earliest communities probably had only a few inhabitants and were sparsely distributed because each needed a large territory for hunting, fishing and gathering. The high ridges around Acapulco protected these small communities from much contact with the outside world.

The earliest inhabitants carved petraglyphs in nearby rocks, like Palma Sola (see photo). This relatively small pre-Columbian site may be eclipsed by more important digs elsewhere, but it is truly worth a visit. It showed that life was at least calm enough to give the locals enough freedom to do a little something other than just working to stay alive.

Around the time of King Solomon in Judah (three thousand years ago), a drastic change took place in Acapulco. A new people, which now are called the Nahua, entered deep blue bay and gave it its name.

Their society was more structured than that which it replaced, and from artifacts it seems as if they were related to the Olmecs, who dominated on the Gulf of Mexico side of the country.

Then, probably around 1200 AD came the Méxica (pronounced “MEH-she-ka”). They were distant relatives of the local residents. Each group had come from one of the seven original tribal divisions of the Nahuas, said by legend to have left the “place of the seven caves” (“Chicomoztoc”) to live in “Aztlán,” a kind of paradise. The Méxica had migrated away from Aztlán, and were instructed by their god, Huitzilopochtli, to adopt the name Mexica. In spite of this, Spanish soldiers, and then later the scholars, used the name “Aztec” (inhabitants of Aztlán) to describe the Méxica. This misnomer has been the source of great confusion. Some descendants of these indigenous peoples are still sensitive about it and reject the use of "Aztec" when applied to the rulers of central Mexico.

Unlike the Olmecs and coastal Nahuas, the Méxica were a warrior society that survived by means of conquest, enslavement and tribute. They established a large and flourishing empire in the central parts of modern Mexico, from sea to sea, with a large and well-functioning bureaucracy and system of centralized government. The dominion of the Méxica reached its height in the mid- to late 1400's. They divided what is modern day Guerrero State into seven territories, introducing a system for collecting tribute and imposing decisions of a central government on local leaders. It is said that Acapulco never came under the direct control of these people, but rather were governed by local political bosses. Without a doubt, Acapulco’s culture was strongly affected by the Tarasca, Mixteca, Zapoteca and Méxica civilizations.

The Arrival of the Spanish

Ten years after the last expulsion of the moors and the Jews from Spain, and ten years after the discovery of the New World, Hernán Cortés landed in Mexico with a large contingent of Spanish soldiers. Once ashore, he burned all the vessels in his fleet, signaling that for this group of conquistadores, there was no way to go back home. It was 1502. By 1521 the Spanish would have conquered all the indigenous peoples.

The advancing Spaniards stumbled across Acapulco Bay (more correctly, La Bahía de Santa Lucia). It as a perfect natural harbor for Spanish ships on the west side of the continent. Not only is Acapulco sheltered from all but worst hurricanes, but also it has a deep channel. Moreover, it was also the largest natural port on the Pacific coast. For 300 years, Acapulco reigned as the “pearl” of the Pacific. By 1534 the Spanish had discovered silver in nearby Taxco, attracting more and more settlers to the area. Acapulco’s natural harbor made the Asian trade possible, even though it took 12 days or more to cover the rough road between Mexico City and Acapulco. Acapulco was thus the point of departure east to China and the Philippines, and the western terminus of the road to Veracruz, from which ships would depart back to Mother Spain. From Acapulco ships went as far as Alaska in the north and to Peru and Chile in the South. The biggest problem remained the rough road to Mexico City, making Acapulco isolated but also semi-autonomous for many, many decades.

By the mid 1650's the galleons would depart to the orient for a full year’s round trip journey for trade goods – silks and spices and other luxuries. Much of this treasure would find its way to Spain, but Acapulco enjoyed its share of luxury goods, too, especially as the locals became more wealthy and genteel. Annually the Governor General would accompany the Viceroy of New Spain in the difficult descent from Mexico City to Acapulco, just to welcome the incoming vessels from the Orient. The ships’ cargo included silk and ceramics, jewels, ivory, cloves, pepper, tea, and cinnamon.

Piracy

 

Throughout the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, England and Spain vied for hegemony on the high seas. Each rushed to create colonies in the New World in a race for wealth and political power. Mariners from each country found it a lucrative practice to prey upon the trading vessels of their rival, stealing the treasure and disrupting the trade. Some of these volunteers were commissioned by the crown; others – many others – were just working for themselves. These were the “pirates,” (or privateers), who have been so romanticized in story and song.

The two most bothersome English pirates were Francis Drake (later knighted) and Thomas Cavendish.

Drake was a pirate with a commission from the English crown, and a portion of his prizes went to enrich the monarch. Cavendish was a “privateer,” in that he was pestering the Spanish with the blessing of the English, but he was basically working for his own account.

The English pirates, in smaller, more nimble craft, could easily arrest the bulkier galleons, killing the crew (or capturing them into slavery) and stealing all the cargo. They equally enjoyed invading port towns like Acapulco and sacking them of everything valuable. Cabo San Lucas, at the tip of Baja California was a favorite place for the pirates to hide, out of sight of the galleons, until they came close by land. Acapulco’s bay is also hidden from view of the high seas, but sometimes it was protected by a detachment of Spanish infantry, unlike the more desolate Cabo. In 1615, Viceroy Diego Fernandez de Córdoba built a fort in Acapulco, mainly for protection against the ambushes and escapades of the pirates. This magnificent bastion, Fort San Diego, still stands in the Traditional Zone. The local residents and all the stores of trade from the Orient would fit inside the fort, safe from the raiders. The powder magazine was built in a separate and smaller fortified structure, away from the main fort, as a precaution against fire. The star-shaped Fuerte de San Diego is a great attraction, having been recently restored. It has many exhibits about different aspects of Acapulco’s history.

Part of Acapulco’s colonial history involves slave trade. Slave trading was a routine practice of the Spanish, and so Acapulco became a center of slave trade, along with all the other mercantile activity. The slaves were imported to work in the mines for silver and gold, and continued to be bought and sold well into the 19th century. Many, however, escaped, and took up residence in the mountainous parts of the coast south of Acapulco, called the “Costa Chica,” where descendants of African slaves still live.

Even though the trade with the Orient tapered off and eventually ended, Acapulco still continued to grow and prosper under Spanish rule, but always somewhat to the side, as it was so inaccessible to the big authorities who stayed in Mexico City and on the Gulf Coast.

Acapulco and Mexican Independence

Mexican Independence. (Note: the “Revolution” refers to the period from 1910 to about 1921, when a populist uprising overthrew Porfirio Diaz, a Mexican dictator, and established a government that at first aspired to be a democratic regime. That is different from “Independence,” which refers to the national uprising a century earlier, in which insurgents demanded independence from Spain. As many Mexicans at the time remained loyal to the crown, this conflict had some aspects of a civil war, and continued off an on for over 11 years. In the US, the “American Revolution” and "War of American Independence” are interchangeable terms. To the Mexican ear, “revolution” and “independence” describe two entirely different events.)

Spain lost most of her colonies in the Western Hemisphere in a brief period between 1800 and 1820, more or less. Mexico -- then known still as the jewel of "New Spain" – increasingly yearned for independence from the Spanish Crown. Spain's political influence, wealth and military strength had all waned during the 18th century. The old structure fell apart definitively when Napoleon Bonaparte invaded Spain in 1808. The colonies saw this as a perfect opportunity to declare their separation from the Crown, and most of them did. Some were able to establish their independence with relatively little fighting and bloodshed, but Spain did not give up on Mexico so easily. At the time, Mexico included its present territory, plus Texas, Oklahoma, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, California, and parts of Colorado and Oregon. So of course, Spain put up a fight.

On September 10, 1810, a priest named Manuel Hidalgo started an insurrection against the social injustice that had dispossessed all but Spain-born colonials from holding land or operating an enterprise of any kind. It was a peasant revolution.

The military engagements of 1810-1811 resulted in the capture and execution of Hidalgo by the forces loyal to Spain. General José Maria Morelos took command of the insurgent army, and in 1813, attacked Acapulco’s Fort San Diego. After a siege of five months, the fort fell to Morelos. Acapulco was important to the insurgency, as it was the only port of any consequence on Mexico’s Pacific coast. Then, in 1815, Acapulco fell back into loyalist hands for a while. Eventually, in 1821, the Spanish crown conceded independence in the Treaty of Córdoba. The Plan of Iguala, which was the document on which the treaty was based, mandated independence, a single national religion and social equality for all people.

The now independent Mexico had neither money, know-how nor ships to take up the trade with the Orient again. Acapulco slipped back into its quiet role as a big fishing village on Mexico’s southern coast.

When the Mexican Constitution was drafted in 1824, the state of Guerrero did not yet exist. It was divided up amongst the neighboring states. Finally, on October 27, 1849, the new state was created as part of a liberal reform movement spearheaded by generals Juan Álvarez and Nicolás Bravo, and opposed by Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna (the same Santa Anna that was ultimately defeated when Texas became independent). Over the years Santa Anna was to become president of Mexico on eleven different, non-consecutive occasions, each one punctuated by corruption and controversy. Chilpancingo was made the state capital. It had been declared the national capital by Morelos in 1813, and boasted a population of 3,000.

The Mexican Revolution of 1910

Though isolated geographically, Acapulco was in the middle of the turmoil of Mexico’s revolution. Emiliano Zapata, who was the main revolutionary figure in the south of Mexico, advocated a system of property rights in which those who worked the land should own it. This was distinctly not the philosophy of the few wealthy caciques (local political bosses), who controlled every move of their peasant underlings. Like feudal overlords, they specified when and what the peasants could plant, and even whether and to whom they should be married. They controlled all the infrastructure of the city of Acapulco and even the roads in and out. Independence, won in the 19th century, had turned to a form of servitude in the 20th.

In 1910, the world’s first socialist revolution took place. Acapulco was still its quiet, fishing-village self, relatively unaffected by the events of the previous 100 years since the trade with Asia had ended. The only international role of Acapulco was its contribution of hundreds and hundreds of young men to the banana plantations of Central America. Ships from the American companies would come by and gather them up and carry them off. Most never returned.

The great skirmishes and mass meetings of the revolutionary era took place elsewhere. Acapulco remained on the sidelines. By the early 1920’s, when most of the fighting had stopped, Acapulco remained remarkably unaffected, except for the vocabulary of socialist ideals, which was very much in vogue at the time. Even the ideological fervor subsided, just as it did in the country’s single, “revolutionary” party, which became a military dictatorship bent on conserving traditional ideals (and the wealthy, governing class).

A key figure in post Revolutionary Acapulco was Juan Escudero. As mayor of Acapulco, he worked hard for a real highway between Acapulco and Mexico City, which, once it was opened, finally made Acapulco accessible to the rest of Mexico and thus to the rest of the world.

Acapulco After the Revolution

It took more than ten years for the revolution to consolidate its political gains in an institutional way. Finally, by the mid-1930’s, the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) arose as a unity party for the nation. The many old feuds amongst Acapulco’s political bosses and power brokers seemed to go away.

The 1920’s and 1930’s was also a period when the city seemed to come back to life. Luxury hotels sprang up and tourists began to arrive. The first fancy hotel was The Papagayo, which, sadly, is no more. It stood where “Parque Papagayo” is now. Other landmarks followed, like El Mirador, El Malecon, La Marina and El Club de Pesca. Old-timers still speak of with a nostalgic gleam in the eye. The “Hollywood Set,” including such stars as Lana Turner, Johnny Weismuller and John Wayne, soon made Acapulco their getaway for vacation fun.

Then, when Miguel Alemán came into office in 1946, he really pushed for accelerating the economic development of Acapulco.

The 1960’s and 1970’s were periods of student unrest and social upheaval throughout Mexico. The endemic poverty and gross inequalities of treatment between rich and poor, especially as affected the indigenous peoples, brought about the formation of a few guerrilla groups in the Guerrero countryside. The most famous is the Ejército Popular Revolucionario or EPR, which is still active today in some indigenous pueblos, and which tries to advance a communist ideology. Acapulco has been largely unaffected by such movements, at least so far.

The 1960's was also a time of great expansion. It was then that Acapulco’s “Golden Zone” was opened up, once more thanks in large part to the efforts of now ex-President Miguel Alemán, who, as National Director of Tourism, worked to expand Acapulco’s tourist infrastructure, to make it a modern resort city. Acapulco acquired fame in other countries as a touristic playground, and not just for the rich and famous, but for ordinary people as well.

Today, the tourists still come, but the port is huge now, with well over a million inhabitants, not counting visitors. Many visitors are “second home owners” and prefer to hide behind the high walls of their palatial villas in perfect anonymity. The divide between rich and poor, the new and the traditional -- that dichotomy first illustrated by the struggle of the indigenous peoples against the conquistadores, by the insurgents against the Spanish army, and by the revolutionaries against the vested interests of dictatorship -- that dichotomy continues in Acapulco’s present reality, in which high-rise condominiums soar in front of miserable neighborhoods where most people have no glass in their windows and no potable water.

A Chononlogy of Acapulco History

• During the 1500's, the conquistadors discovered Acapulco.
• 1532 - Cortés arrives and decides to make Acapulco a base for further exploration.
• 1565 - Commerce between Acapulco and Manila (Philippines) was established and becomes a major trade route between Asia and the Americas.
• 1599 - King Phillip II names the place Puerto de Acapulco (The Port of Acapulco).
• 1617 - Fort San Diego was completed in order to protect the city from pirates.
• 1776 - Fort San Diego was totally renovated after an earthquake destroyed it.
• 1818 - Mexico won the struggle for independence and Mexican forces sacked the fort causing the Spaniards to abandon it. The Asia-Mexico trade route came to a halt.
• 1873 - The Port of Acapulco changes its name to Acapulco de Juárez.
• 1927 - The first highway between Acapulco and Mexico City is opened. Travel time is cut by more than one-half to just a week.
• 1933 - Acapulco's first hotel, El Mirador, is built near the Zocalo.
• 1945 - A new highway was built between Mexico City and Acapulco that shortened the trip to six hours. Acapulco starts becoming a major tourist destination.
• 1950s - Acapulco and Las Vegas become two of North America's hottest spots. Hollywood stars and the jet-set celebrities from around the world come for vacations. Johnny Wiesmuler and John Wayne start a hotel here. Lana Turner stays at the Villa Vera Hotel for three years.
• 1962 - Elvis makes the film Fun in Acapulco and performs a heroic cliff dive. Acapulco enters the mainstream.
• 1964 - Direct flights to Acapulco are established and Acapulco and domestic tourists begin to crowd out the Hollywood hipsters.
• 1972 - Centro de Convenciones was constructed at a cost of 50 million dollars. It was considered at the time to be the best convention center in the Republic.
• 1976 - Howard Hughes, who had taken up residence in the Acapulco Princess Hotel, suffers kidney failure and is rushed by private plane back to the states. He died in-flight.
• 1980s - Acapulco begins to suffer under competition from purpose-built tourist towns elsewhere in Mexico like Cancun, Los Cabos, and Ixtapa.
• 1997 - Hurricane Pauline tears the city up.
• 2004 - Real Acapulco comes online.
• 2008 - The Sirena Rousta stirs controvery.

The whole coastline is pretty much devoted to palm trees. There is the ubiquitous Coconut Palm, one of the best plants that has ever come along. The fruit yields oil, the fiber provides matting, and the leaves offer a great roofing material. It is quite a noble specimen. Other palms include the Royal Palms -- the tall, smooth ones in the middle of the Costera Alemán with green trunks. Look for the Bottle Palm and a favorite, the Travelers Palm, which is more of a relative of the banana. Some of these specimens are native to Acapulco, but several others have been imported. But they all flourish here.

Interspersed with the stands of coconut palms are a few mango groves, which bear fruit from April to June. They are not native to the region, but prosper all over the place. Mangos are magnificent trees. The fruit matures at different speeds in various parts of the same tree.

The coastal plain above and around Acapulco is described as a Savanna in the text books. In fact, it is savanna interspersed with large areas of tropical deciduous forest, a good part of which has fallen to the chain saws and machetes of despoilers. In the savanna you will find the gourd tree, whose fruit grows straight out of the trunk, and is about the size of a small melon. It is hollowed out as a water scoop for washing and drinking. The other major feature of the savanna are the mangroves, which grow all around the many lagoons in the area. They are tough, impenetrable and act as a most important protection of the land against the sea. Their exposed roots are an invaluable and impenetrable spawning ground for shrimp, fish, alligators and crocodiles. The trees themselves provide a safe breeding ground for many species of birds.

"Tropical deciduous forest" is informally called "scrub." It is a sort of low jungle that turns brown in the dry season and transforms to a glorious emerald green within a week of the first rains. This terrain requires more rain than savanna.

Another style of landscape is also creeping into Acapulco at a fast pace: Lush green Bermuda grass, elegant palms, small sand dunes and, in winter, green oases in the middle of the arid countryside. Men and women in small, electric carts scurry around it. Four or five such areas have sprung up in Acapulco. This new landscaping anomaly is covered here.

As the traveler moves inland, the mountains continue to rise and the scruffy forest gives way to Pines and Oaks.
These can be found beyond Atoyac, provided that poachers have not chopped them down. These areas are more temperate and provide a home to Mexico's 112 oak species -- both evergreen (Encino) and deciduous -- as well as to 39 species of pine, some with 12-inch needles and others with short stubby ones. Look out for the Ayacahuite, which can grow to 100 feet, and the Ocote Macho, almost as tall, with long gray cones and droopy needles.

The intrepid may want to venture beyond the oaks and pines into the cloud forest. This region begins at about 5,500 feet of altitude. Here the clouds (fog) keep everything damp and soggy. The terrain looks like a prehistoric landscape with tree ferns, bromeliads, orchids, begonias -- all of them adrip with moisture and with lichens on every branch. It is a stark contrast to the parched areas just down the hill.

A word of warning: Travelers to the cloud forest must pass through bandit country. And a variety of illicit crops are cultivated in the mountains of Guerrero. These fields are guarded very, very zealously. If the sentinels suspect a visit from the drug authorities, life as you know it could come to an end.

"Sueño Americano" means "American Dream." Maybe it should include "Sueño Canadiense" (Canadian dream), since the dream really amounts to heading north to make money and / or escape a bad situation at home. In Acapulco, it is very common to meet locals that have gone to the U.S. or Canada to work (both legally and illegally). It also seems a large number of the locals you meet have vague plans to do so themselves one day.

Immigration Facts

The myth in the US is that everyone in Mexico would like to be working in the US, and, of course, that is far from true. In fact, most legal visitors to the US from Mexico arrive because they have friends, family, study programs, special skills or abilities, and other legitimate reasons to enter. This fact is not articulated in the horrendous statistics thrown about in the American media. Even more to the point, the press finds it more sensational to make Mexican immigration sound like an uncontrollable plague of locusts. In truth, even those who cross illegally into the US and Canada, eventually return home. Nevertheless, the long border and the proximity of Mexico to the US invariably spawns illegal migration -- in both directions.

• In a 2002 survey, of the 32.5 million foreign-born U.S. residents, some 30 percent were of Mexican origin.
• Mexico is the largest source of undocumented immigrants. There were an estimated 9.3 million undocumented immigrants in the United States as of March 2002. More than one in every two Mexican immigrants is an illegal, compared with one in about six for other foreign born residents.
• Mexicans represent 20% of the legal immigrants living in the US, or one in five.

Source: http://www.migrationinformation.org

Although publications like the CIA World Factbook state a 2003 Mexican unemployment rate of 3.3%, the methodology used is suspect. Anyone who has spent a day or two in Mexico can see that it is much higher than that. They also understate underemployment at 25%, which is undoubtedly close to double that percentage, or more.

It is also not difficult to understand why the private sector in the US looks the other way. Private businesses
do quite well with a source of low-cost labor. Much of the cost is passed along to taxpayers in the form of lost income and social security taxes and public welfare services.

The US dollars immigrants send home contribute ultimately to help the government service its large foreign debt, estimated at $160 billion (about 20% of GDP). Remittances from Mexican workers in the US -- both legal and illegal -- are Mexico's second largest source of foreign exchange (after petroleum exports). In the financial crisis of 2008-2010, the drop in illegal immigration from Mexico (and the consequential reduction of the inflow of dollars to the economy) contributed to financial austerity at the governmental level. Of course, other factors, like the drop in demand for petroleum, also weighed heavily in creating the adverse situation. Worse still, the very rich in Mexico -- mainly top-level entrepreneurs and politicians -- fled the peso, buying assets denominated in dollars, with the result that the peso depreciated substantially.

Nevertheless, the Mexican government and economy benefits greatly from the export of local labor -- both legal and illegal -- to the US. A 1990 study found that Mexico’s Gross National Product (GNP) rose by between $2.69 and $3.17 for every dollar Mexican households received from workers in the United States. In 2003 alone, Mexican immigrants living in the US sent home some $11 billion.

During the previous Bush administration, the government in Mexico published literature about how to cross the border safely and responsibly, even if illegally. The page to the right contains advice on what to do in case of capture: "Your Rights: To know where you are being held. To ask that you are allowed to communicate with a representative of the nearest Mexican Consulate in order to receive help. Don't make statements on the record or sign any documents, especially if they are in English, without access to a defense lawyer or a representative
of the Mexican Consulate." In Mexico, people that cross illegally are known as mojados (roughly, "wetbacks") because many literally get wet crossing the Rio Grande.

Mexican Dream

The press has not given much attention to the "Mexican Dream," which describes the growing number of Americans and Canadians who move to Mexico. Many come because their pensions do not give them a dignified existence in the US, but in Mexico one can live comfortably. According to one estimate, the number of US nationals living in Mexico is around 500,000. Another is more conservative, placing it at 150,000. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle. Many American expatriates apply for formal residence (temporary or permanent), which is readily available for pensioners or investors who can live without taking employment from locals. Many just come and go with 6-month tourist cards, which are easy to arrange at the time of entry.

Most US expatriates in Mexico have settled in Baja California, Guadalajara (especially the temperate Lago Chapala area), Mexico City and environs(like San Miguel de Allende). On the Pacific coast, many more expats live in Puerto Vallarta and Los Cabos than in Acapulco. Acapulco has attracted its share of the "upper crust." A large proportion of the multi-million dollar villas in Acapulco's luxurious Las Brisas area are held in special trust arrangements (called "fidecomisos") for wealthy Americans and Canadians.

So, if it is true that Mexicans have made inroads in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California, the gringos are moving to Baja California and some of Mexico's best colonial and beach areas. This is something you can expect from peaceful, neighboring countries. These trends seem to work in both directions.

These tips help you avoid a few pitfalls of traveling to and from Mexico.

Take the Minimum

Take the minimum with you. If this is your first trip to a Mexico beach location, you will be astounded at how well you will do with only a couple of bathing suits and tops. Everyone navigates in "flip-flops" (called "chanclas" in Acapulco). If you need a pair, they sell for a dollar or two at the super markets and other stores all over town. There is no need to import a bunch of them. You may want a couple of "nice" changes of clothes for less casual outings, but that's about it. Use the hotel laundry every couple of days, and you will be fine. Unless a formal event has been planned (like a wedding or an upscale business meeting), men will not need a jacket and tie. Women can leave long dresses and high heels behind. The most that even the fancy nightclubs require is "elegant casual" (cocktail dresses for the ladies and neat trousers and crisp shirt for the men). If you are boarding an airplane in a cold climate, try to leave your overcoat in the car and "tough it" to and from the terminal. There's no need to schlep an overcoat all the way to Acapulco and back again. The benefits of minimalist thinking are: less to carry on the way down, and more room for stuff you might buy to take home.

Secure Your Money and Documents

Money and documents need to be secure. Take with you (or buy) a secure bag (with zipper closure) or "waist pack" (called a "cangurera" in Acapulco). Take your passport, a credit card and your bank debit card. Your drivers' license may be useful as an ID, so you can leave the passport under lock and key in the hotel. Take photocopies of everything, front and back, and keep them in a separate place. Be sure to call the credit card company in advance and advise them of your destination and the length of your stay, so they will not decline your charges, thinking the card has been stolen. You should travel with enough cash to get to the hotel safely and a little more besides, just for peace of mind. (Once settled in the hotel, use the bank card to get more cash as you need it. ATM machines (called "cajeros") are plentiful in Acapulco. They accept a broad range of credit and debit cards.) Once you clear customs, consciously put your documents in your secure bag or pack and transfer them to your hotel safe deposit box (or in-room safe) when you arrive at the hotel. You can change a small amount of money at the hotel to pay for taxis, if they are unhappy taking dollars. After that, just withdraw money from the ATM machines (which will give you pesos) to last a couple of days. There is no safer place for your cash than in your bank, and you will receive your money at a more favorable exchange rate than that charged at money exchanges. Pay for things with the credit card whenever possible. You will get an even better exchange rate on credit card charges than on changing dollars to pesos.

Take Your Money With You

Money, plastic and cash can not be left lying around in the hotel room, even in the fanciest hotels. The in-room safes and hotel safety deposit boxes are secure, but nowhere else is. If you use the front desk safe (rather than a safe deposit box), ask for a receipt. If something is stolen from the room, there will not likely be a big investigation. Cash and plastic are more secure on your person than anywhere else except the in-room safes and hotel depositories. If you plan to be on the public beaches or riding the city buses, take a minimum of cash and no plastic with you. Armed robberies are more infrequent in Acapulco than in the larger US cities, but there is no reason to take unnecessary risks on your vacation.

Sunscreen, Sunscreen, Sunscreen

If you’re not lucky enough to sport a shade of Mexican brown or black on your skin, but rather show the pasty white, dead fish color of the far North, do not venture into the sun for more than five minutes without sunscreen. Also remember to use sunglasses that block all forms of harmful ultraviolet light. Remember, Acapulco is located well inside the Tropic of Cancer. Sunscreen can be bought all over town and on the beach in all types and shades. For the balding or receding hairline, a hat is a must. Even the scalp where the hair is parted can sizzle quickly.

Ten Pesos is Worth a Bit Less than One Dollar

When converting between pesos and US dollars for small purchases, just drop a zero and deduct a bit more. Even though the exchange rate may be at around 11 or 12 pesos to the dollar at the moment, this allows for quick math. If you're from Europe, Britain, Canada, Australia or New Zealand, well, you'll have to do it the old fashioned way and do some real math. At 12 pesos to the dollar, $30 pesos is $2.50, $50 pesos is about $4, and $100 pesos is $8.33.

Always Bargain

Your favorite word should be "demasiado" (day-mah-see-AH-dough), which means "too much". It's a well known fact that there are two prices for just about everything in Mexico; the tourist price and the regular price. The key to getting the latter and avoiding the former is to know what the real price of things is and when you should bargain. With the exception of the supermarkets, restaurants, and "big box" stores, you'll need to bargain for most goods or services. Before entering a taxi, ask what the fare is to where you are going. If the driver sizes you up and says "50 pesos," the fare is probably $40. And so on.

Asking for the Check

When in a restaurant and ready to leave, wave to your attendant and do one of two things: either say (or mime) "la cuenta, por favor" (pronounced la-KWEN-tah-pour-fah-VOHR); or just make a hand gesture as if writing on an imaginary piece of paper. This is universally understood in all of Mexico for "bring the check."

Saying "No" and "Go Away"

In all places, the presence of tourists attracts others looking for an opportunity. The key is to say "no" without being offensive. If someone offers your something you don't want, a polite "no gracias" with a smile will normally do. If the individual persists, a second "no gracias" might be in order, perhaps with just half a smile. If this does not work, say "no gracias" sternly for a third time and use a most useful hand gesture: a slow, side-to-side motion with your index finger (palm down), the way grade school teachers used to do. This is also the best signal to use on the street when a taxi driver or other person out of earshot honks or waves to try to get your attention. Almost always the issue will be resolved at one of these three levels. In extreme cases, change tactics to the more direct "no moleste" (NO mo-LES-tay), or if to more than one person, "no molesten" (NO mo-LES-tayn). Both mean "don't bother me."

Montezuma's Revenge

Most likely if anything is going to go wrong on your trip, other than a bad hangover or a sunburn, this will be it. Montezuma's Revenge can be mild, or it can put you right down in bed with grinding stomach cramps. If you get a really mild case, you can just ignore it. If it threatens to take you out of action, look for Lomotil at a pharmacy. It is a "slow you down" pill that does not require a prescription. For worse cases, see a doctor right away. Early treatment makes for an earlier cure, and salvages more vacation time. You are likely to be advised to take a quinolone antibiotic like ciprofloxacin (Cipro) 500 mg twice daily or levofloxacin (Levaquin) 500 mg once daily for three days.

Just Say No

In Acapulco, the one thing you do not want to be accused of is taking illegal drugs. It is a free-wheeling sort of place, and you might see some people doing things that you might think is tolerated. It is not. Being detained with as little as a joint will spoil your vacation. Getting caught with anything more serious can spoil your whole year or even longer. Given the intense scrutiny for drugs at the borders, departing the US with any illegal substance is idiotic. Buying illegal substances once inside the country is lunacy. Just say "no."

Where to get more info

For more information, stay right here at RealAcapulco, naturally. There is a wealth of info hidden in the nooks and crannies of RealAcapulco that you're likely to find useful. Even it if it's not all that useful, it might be interesting.