Hosted by Scott Sheehan
Directed & Produced by Michael Corbiere
Day two in the state of Guerreros double your pleasure destination, and were itching for a bit of exercise. Surfing is a popular pastime (for many, a lifestyle) all around the world, and the coast around Ixtapa offers many great breaks to test your skills. Unfortunately, I dont have any yet, so I thought Id get a quick lesson with Leon, at Catcha Lola. He is a well-known fixture in town, and can teach you how to surf, or, if you already know how, he can take you around the region and share his knowledge of the secret spots.
There were two of us out there for the first time in our lives. Me, and Ted from Oakville Ontario. We were given a cursory(!) lesson, and then unleashed upon the waves! Ive always wanted to try surfing, but the chance just hasnt come my way, or when it did, I always found the surfing dudes a little off-putting with their not on my wave, attitude. I am happy to report that on Playa Linda today, I experienced none of this. It was a totally unintimidating environment in which to flail around like a fish out of water in the water which was surprisingly warm, for the Pacific Ocean. And videotape doesnt lie I actually experienced the incomparable feeling of standing up on a surfboard and riding a wave! Sure, it was on a surfboard the size of a bus, on waves the size of well, of really small waves, but it sure felt amazing! Save me a spot on the wave, Leon! Ill be back!
My feats of derring-do in the ocean were followed up with a near-miraculous moment on one of Ixtapas golf courses. Alberto, the pro at the Real de Palmas agreed to take us out and show us the course. Even in the throes of the dry season, the fairways and greens seemed well kept and remarkably green, and the views of the ocean and up close and personal encounters with Alligators and Iguanas made a buzz around the links that much more enjoyable. Just dont shank your ultra-high-tech golf balls into the drink, because if you go after them, you might end up vying for supremacy over a magical land with a dagger wielding, high-flying boy who refused to grow up And then I teed up my drive and cranked it right up the middle of the fairway and onto the apron of the green, avoiding an enormous pond, three sand traps, and a partridge in a pear tree! One swing! No practice swing, no warm-up, camera on me, people clamouring to play through and I nailed it! I was in position for a possible eagle! Then of course I 4 putted it and bogeyed the hole. For a minute there I thought I was in the running for the assistant pros position, Alberto seemed so impressed.
On the theme of sports, theres one more thing Id like to add to this overly long, and somewhat self-aggrandizing post: The other night, while typing away, I had the TV in my room on, and lo and behold, Lucha Libre leapt onto the screen with a vengeance! For those of you who are unfamiliar with the term, it refers to what I consider to be a wonderfully fun aspect of Mexican culture: amateurish wrestling in crazy masks. Now, I apologize to the purists out there who would take offence, but it was just that. And it was so fun to watch. The masks make a stylish and borderline frightening souvenir, as well!
Ok, weve arrived in the bustling, vibrant city of Acapulco Once THE most popular and prestigious vacation destination in the Americas. The place that really started it all. I cant wait to get out there tomorrow and drink its milkshake!
