We are staying in Zihuatanejo at a wonderful hill side hotel overlooking the bay as I indicated in my first report. Today we took a taxi to Ixtapa located about a fifteen minute taxi ride away. This was our first visit to this town about ten miles away, but it´s not really a town at all. It was created by the federal government in the 1970`s as resort center and it is a ¨state of the art disco" tourist type area. The two areas couldn´t be more different.  While Zihuatanejo is a fishing town with old world restaurants and resorts, Ixtapa bustles like a modern city geared to tourists. Tall hotels along the water like Miami and a shopping area. It is like being in a modern tourist area. We lasted about twenty minutes in Ixtapa before hailing a cab and hustling back to Zihuatanejo.

We were dropped off at the main pier where the cruise ships bring passengers in on tenders. There is a wide cement sidewalk that runs along the water for several miles and in fact continues right to a point on the beach below our hotel. We walked along,stopping to watch fishermen repair their nets and work on their fishing boats pulled up on the beach until time for launching. Small shops with local crafts border the sidewalk along with cafe´s. Since this is Holy Thursday it is a Mexican holiday and the locals were all out for a day of swimming and enjoying the long sandy beach. The water was full of people along with children screaming with every wave that came in. Local people walking along with folding chairs and portable umbrellas looking for a place to locate on the beach. Tradesmen pushing wheeled carts along the sand selling food and drink as well as anything else that can be sold were working. However, there wasn`t the problem of desperate sales people trying to make a sale. Since no cruise ship is in there were only few tourists in sight. The little shops reflect a small fishing village with crafts to look at as you walk along and we enjoyed the stroll.

We walked for about a mile and half to the last restaurant on the beach. With a cool breeze from the ocean we enjoyed a beer and fresh shrimp that were wonderful Then back to our hotel about five minutes away and into the pool to cool off. It is about 90 degrees and hot, but each afternoon a breeze comes up from the water which is refreshing. Tomorrow, Good Friday, we board the cruise ship and meet our office staff and their families to continue the cruise with them.