Wulff's Blog: 2002 Mexican Riviera: Puerto Vallarta

Carnival Cruise Line had a good deal on their 7 day cruise of the Mexican Riviera. We could not pass up this good sale.

The narration below follows the videotape that Fred took. Photos were taken by Annette Wulff and our friends, the Geberts from Milwaukee. Some also were taken from Google (I tried to avoid copyrighted photos)

MEXICAN RIVIERA CRUISE
CARNIVAL LINE
THE ELATION
MARCH 24 to MARCH 31, 2002

MARCH 24TH, SUNDAY - DAY 1

Annette and Fred arrived at the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport early in the morning and waited by the Northwest gate for the Milwaukee arrivals of Don and Marge Gebert. Together we then walked down to the Northwest Los Angeles departure gate for our wonderful adventure. Unfortunately our other dear friends the Villwocks could not come, but they were with us in our thoughts during the trip.

After a relatively smooth flight on a DC 10, we exited the plane, picked up our baggage and looked for the agent with the Carnival Line sign. Shortly we were escorted to our shuttle bus that took us to San Pedro. We walked through the cruise terminal and boarded our large beautiful white ship. We would not be lonely. The Elation had a full booking and the passenger list numbered 2,600.

The ship’s six story atrium was one of first areas we checked out. As Annette and the Geberts looked over the railing of the Lido deck, they could observe musicians performing on a baby grand piano and violin. Glassed enclosed elevators scooted passengers up and down the ornate atrium.

Waiting for us in our rooms were bottles of fine wine -- Round Hill Cabernet Sauvignon, 1997 -- compliments of Jan Ritz, our friendly travel agent from New Ulm Travel Agency.

As our luggage was being transferred to our rooms, we ate up on the Lido deck (right).

Then we stood on the back of the ship (aft) and looked over the highlands of San Pedro. Fred’s brother Bill had lived on the slope over-looking the harbor.

Departure time was 4 p.m. and we waited on deck. Just below us on the next level young people were bidding farewell to San Pedro. At the appointed time a dock worker slipped the thick mooring rope from the dock and we were on our way. Off to our right was the soaring Long Island Bridge. As expected we went through the mandatory life boat drill procedures. We looked captivating in our orange lifejackets. Lined up at our muster station, we watched the United States Coast Guard vessel that had escorted us out of the harbor turn off and head back to port.

Dinner that night was taken in the Inspiration Room. Our assigned seating (early 5:45 p.m.) was at a large round table set for ten passengers. Fred’s appetizer was tasty smoked salmon whereas Ann opted for tropical fruit. For the main course Fred and Annette chose fish, the catch of day, while Marge went for shrimp and Don a steak.

Everything was worthy of a picture, including the decadent chocolate dessert. No one went away hungry.

We played Bingo after dinner and then enjoyed the evening show event in the Mikado Lounge.

The Welcome Aboard Show featured the comedy of Merl Hobbs and was quite funny.

We turned in after a long and enjoyable day. Our rooms were large for a cruise ship, the largest that the Wulffs had ever had in their cruise experiences. The showers also exceeded those of other ships. We slept well that night as can be attested by Annette’s slumber under our oceanside window.

MARCH 25TH, MONDAY - DAY TWO

Early in the morning Fred donned a comfy white robe provided in the room by the Carnival Line. We joined the Geberts for morning devotion in their room across the hallway. This became a tradition. For breakfast we headed to the Inspiration Room for the main seating.

Today was an all day at sea day. Naturally we took out the good ol' cribbage board. Most of games were played inside the Tiffany Room ( right) on a table with an ocean view.

The Captain’s formal welcome party in the Mikado Lounge featured music by the Elation band. Complimentary cocktails and snacks were provided. Don and Marge took to the dance floor to display their footwork. Captain Pier Paolo Scala from Italy presented himself and welcomed us aboard.

Formal dinner menu offered salmon and lobster. All of the ten people assigned to our table were delightful which made the evening meals very pleasant. The waiters rendered their version of O Sol Mio as table side entertainment. Our waiter from Istanbul was quite the ham and we thoroughly enjoyed him. The show time in the Mikado Lounge was a lively presentation of the Elation Dancers and the vocal talents of Paula Creech & Jamie Rae

MARCH 26TH, TUESDAY - DAY THREE

The morning started off with devotions in the Wulff stateroom followed by breakfast at Tiffanys.

Another “Funship” day at sea. One of our major activities was playing cribbage. An over-confident Don showed his hand to the camera. From the starboard side we viewed the outline of the Baja Peninsula. Don Geber tused binoculars for a close up of the rocky outcrop at the tip of the Baja.

Fred used his camcorder to zero in on the famous El Arco rock formation.

The afternoon calendar featured an ice carving demonstration with a sculpturer chipping out a magnificent bald eagle. Excited children followed as the finished product was carted off into Tiffianys.

We toasted to the Villwocks with our rum money, a monetary gift from the Villwocks. This reminded of our dear friends back in Milwaukee. Children practiced dancing before the evening event. Band music and lively dancing on the Lido deck lasted into the evening.

That evening we were served spicy pork loin (“jerked pork”) which hit the spot, although it burned a little on the way down. We looked over a navigation chart map that plotted our journey. From the map it became quite clear that we traveled quite a bit eastward, explaining why we set our watches ahead two hours. We were now in the same time zone as Milwaukee.

A famous movie star, along with his beautiful wife and kids were sailing on the Elation. I had to video him because he was so famous. This actor, Mario Van Peebles, had played leading roles in movies as Raw Nerve and Malcolm X The family ate at the same seating and dining room as we did, and just a few tables down.

Because Fred and Annette had sailed on the Carnival Line a number of times before, they were invited to a second Captain’s Cocktail party in the Cole Porter Lounge. They had free drinks again (even Irish Creme) while enjoying the music of a Filipino band called Music Forever.

The evening Show Time had a fascinating magic and illusion act by Debra Kim, followed by comedian Tom McGillen.

Turning in for the night we found a rabbit on our bed which had been fashioned by our room steward. Also, Of course, there were the ubiquitous chocolate treats setting on our pillows.

MARCH 27TH, WEDNESDAY - DAY FOUR

After morning devotions and breakfast at Tiffanys, we took the gangway out to Puerto Vallarta.

Puerto Vallarta. On the edge of the Sierra Madre range sits one of the most popular vacation spots in Mexico. Puerto Vallarta’s Bahia de Banderas (Bay of Flags) attracted pirates and explorers as early as the 1500s. Sir Francis Drake had stopped here. In the 1950s Puerto Vallarta was essentially a pretty hideaway for those in the know -- the wealthy and some hardy escapists. After the publicity brought on by John Huston’s 1964 movie The Night of the Iguana, tourism began to bloom. Today the city numbers 300,000 residents. Despite the transformation, every attempt has been made to keep the town’s character and image intact.

Our taxi shuttle drove along the Malecon for a beautiful view of the ocean front and sculptures. The driver let us off in the central old part of town. As we proceeded along the Malecon, we met a Mexican lady who offered us a personal tour and paid taxi tour if we listened to a 2 hour presentation (time share stuff). We decided it might be worth it.

First she took us to La Inglesia de Nuestra Senoro de Guadalupe (Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe) which is topped by a distinctive crown that replicates the one worn by Carlota the empress of Mexico in the 1860s.

You may recall from your history classes: In the early 1860s, the ambitious Napoleon III initiated the French intervention in Mexico. France, eager to turn Mexico into a satellite state, searched for a suitable figurehead to serve as the nominal emperor of Mexico. Maximillian accepted the Mexican crown and the couple sailed for the New World. This puppet government was overthrown. The young Maximillian was executed by a firing squad and Carlota returned to Europe.

Our lady friend then hailed a taxi. We headed eastward to Gringo Gulch where Americans had settled in the 1950s. Here was Elizabeth Taylor’s (Casa Kimberly) and Richard Burton’s house across the street (connected by the love bridge he had built).

Our taxi headed along the ocean front to higher ground. Annette struck up a conversation with the gray-haired driver and got a mini Spanish lesson. Marcos, the driver, pulled off the road at an overlook.

Here we posed with some rather large, but passive, iguanas.

Our taxi continued southward and stoppe at the “waterfall”. The resort here had a viewing area so we walked though it, passing a talkative parrot on the way. As it turned out the waterfall was quite modest, but the rushing water entered into a wading pool that was quite picturesque. Further along bathers were basking in the sun on a large rock. Marge threw coins to Mexican boys below us who were wading in the water. They were delighted with their catch.

As we headed back towards town we took pictures of Mexican dwellings along the road.

We then visited the time share operation with the condition we would be taken back to our ship afterwards.

The resort was very nice. We had to remind the establishment of our transportation understanding and we were taken to our ship.

Back on ship we played cribbage in Tiffanys and refreshed ourselves with drinks. which included Tequila Mommas.

That evening a Mexican band from shore entertained us in the Inspiration Room as we ate.

They were all dressed up in Mexican attire and played spirited Mexican music as they paraded around the tables.

Just outside Tiffanys were neat carvings made from vegetables. These pieces were to serve as centerpieces for a midnight buffet. Later the Lido deck was the scene of lively dancers working up an appetite.

That evening as we entered our stateroom, we were greeted by a towel snowman wearing an upside-down ashtray for a hat.

MARCH 28TH, THURSDAY - DAY FIVE

The Elation pulled into the port of Mazatlan.

Mazatlan is the Aztec word for “place of the deer,” and long ago its islands and shores sheltered far more deer than humans.

The Spanish settled the region in 1531. After the U.S. Civil War a number of Southerners moved here. Today it is a city of 400,000 residents and draws more than a million tourists a year.

After morning devotions we took in a Lido breakfast at Tiffany’s. Our day today was pretty much planned around an all day Sierra Madre tour. The tour began with a drive along the beautiful malecon of the Zona Dorada (Golden Zone).

Time was allotted for us to shop here in the city. Don, Marge and Annette posed at a nearby Aztec-like setting. Annette picked up a couple pairs of authentic silver earrings here.

Back in the bus we headed for the mountains, driving past squatter camps on public lands. Our guide Irma (pronounced EAR ma) explained that these poor people would get to keep their plots if they stayed on the land for a given time and built dwellings. At the same time the government was building low-income dwellings in a planned community, like one going up across the road. On our trip we also noticed that men drove pick-up trucks which carried the family in the truck bed. Further on, more squatter dwellings. One could only hope for a better life for these people.

We stopped along the highway to visit a brick making facility -- which really consisted of a laborer filling a wooden form with fresh globs of wet clay. The formed bricks were left in the sun to dry; later they would be placed in a kiln. The site was located on a clay quarry from which the worker daily mixed up mud. Our guide estimated he made $20 per day for this heavy work. My guess is that the tour companies supplemented his income.

Our next stop was a furniture “factory” along the highway. As we pulled into the parking lots, a goat herder was driving his flock across the highway. These animals made themselves very much at home in the shop. We watched a craftsman carving wood and a young man forming roof tiles from clay.

Probably the basic production was elsewhere and these two individuals performed for the gringos. The primary function of this establishment was to be a gift shop.

Our bus moved steadily up into the rugged mineral-rich mountains that had attracted the Spanish back in the 1500s. We stepped back into time as we visited an old town named Concordia.

The old church of San Sebastian was the focal point of the town. Sebastian Church has beautiful columns, buttresses, and stone gargoyles. A unique feature of the angel statues surrounding the cathe- dral -- the Spaniards had originally built this church and when Mexico defeated Spain, the local towns- people cut the heads off all the statues at the church to show their victory over the Spaniards. Also, it should be noticed that the alcoves around the church that typically hold statues of the saints -- these are all empty. Since the saints were all European and placed there by the Spaniards, the Mexican townspeople removed them all.

We walked through a family bakery (freshly baked buns or cookies, three for a dollar) as we ambled back to the bus.

A few miles up the road from Concordia lies the idyllic mountain village of Copala founded in 1565. Smaller and more bucolic than Concordia, Copala still feels a bit like the virtual ghost town it once was. The bus parked at a distance from the square which meant a walk over a cobblestone street.

After Copala’s silver and gold mines were depleted, many of its citizens left in search of new livelihoods. But the re-opening of the old mines for tourism has revitalized the town. A number of foreigners have moved to Copala and opened restaurants. Just off the square was an old charming building that served as our eating place. For lunch we had traditional Mexican fare of tamale, enchilada, refried beans, and taco (sans hot sauce). Meal included beer.

A photo in the restaurant showed the mining operation here in more recent days. Present day tourists (Gringos) on the right.

The church on the square dated back to the Spanish days with the main structure from 1740. This prominent landmark is the Inglesia de San Jose. Sunlight streamed through the old church’s high wooden doors, illuminating an airy interior with neoclassical-style altars.

From the church vantage point, we took parting pictures of the town below.

Back aboard ship we watched an unusual scavenger hunt in the Mikado Lounge. When the director asked for volunteers, the young girl seated in front of me bounced up to the stage. Three groups were formed and she was the runner for her group. She was rather exuberant about the task.

Don and Marge played Bingo in the Mikado Lounge. They shared the $200 winning prize with another person who also had Bingo. After the staff checked Don’s Bingo card for correctness, he signed a receipt for the hundred dollar bill.

We kept our same seats for the upcoming Talent Show where cruise passengers performed in a Talent Show. The Cruise Staff then provided a little funny-spicy entertainment called “If I were to leave my job at sea, this is what I’d like to be.” We had seen something similar to this on other cruises.

MARCH 29TH, FRIDAY - DAY SIX

During the night our ship traveled the short distance from Mazatlan to Cabo San Lucas. See map at right.

After morning devotions and breakfast at Tiffanys, we lined up at the gangway to take a tender to Cabo San Lucas. En route we had a good view of the rocks at the end of the Baja, pelicans in the harbor, and a look back at our beautiful white ship anchored at the entrance to the harbor.

We took a leisurely stroll around the harbor walk before shifting over to the next street to buy T shirts.

Here we encountered a Good Friday procession led by a man carrying a large wooden cross. Walking along side him were persons who made symbolic acts of whipping the cross-bearer.

A tender took us back to the ship. The Elation looked huge as we pulled along side for boarding. On deck I took video shots of the rock formations and the famous El Arco. Since our ship was in port only during the morning, many of the passengers now started to sun bathe out on the Lido deck.

The evening entertainment in the Mikado Lounge was SPIN featuring Paula Creech & Jamie Rae with the Elation Dancers. The drink of the day was the Yellow Bird.

Before the Gala Buffet, guests were invited to view the elaborate and intricate carvings of fruits, vegetables, and blocks of cheese and ice, along with colorful and unique displays of cakes and desserts. Fred wasn’t up to the late hour (and long line) so he retired. Annette stepped in to video-tape all the goodies

MARCH 30TH, SATURDAY - DAY SEVEN

After devotions and breakfast at Tiffanys we indulged in considerable cribbage playing. This delightful game provided many hours of good fun. The competition was intense, but we came out pretty evenly matched.

At 10:30 we watched Don and Marge play Bingo and almost win a cruise for two.