All Inclusive - My First Resort!
Fernando's family was amazing and I wanted to do something nice for them to thank them. They had talked about taking us to Manzanillo and checking out some sights and experiences there, but we hadn't nailed down a day. So, in my extremely broken spanish I started to tell them we want to take them to Manzanillo for a night and we would cover the hotel. Fernando had to take over because the blank looks I was getting with my crazy mispronunciation made it obvious my spanish is not even remotely good enough to form sentences with words I'm not used to. So thanks Google Translate, but also....damn.
Anyway! They picked a day and then Fernando's aunt and I (with some translation skills from Fernando) picked a hotel. They are familiar with the area so we chose Hotel Tesoro Manzanillo on Playa la Audienca. They said it is the nicest beach in Manzanillo and it was all inclusive, which was important to them. I had never been to an all inclusive resort so I wasn't sure why it mattered but I was more than willing to do all inclusive if it meant we got to go. Three rooms with all inclusive access booked and we were ready to go...after a little packing.
Fernando's aunt drove Fernando, his mom, and I to Manzanillo and his cousin and uncle came later as she had to work in the morning. We were too early to check in so we stopped for breakfast and did a little shopping to pass the time. We checked in and I fell in love. White buildings, a panoramic elevator, access to the ocean AND all the food I could eat? Perfect. Fernando and I went for a walk on the beach and I swam in the ocean. I got about 10 meters from shore before I decided it was too deep and dark (I'm afraid of the ocean) and I turned back. Also, there was nowhere to swim to except a giant floaty playground that Fernando said wasn't for us to go on. So we returned to the pool and relaxed. I suntanned and had a drink since it was all inclusive. that's what you're supposed to do, right? I was pretty bored by now and we had only been at the resort for a few hours. I tried to relax but if you know me at all, I don't find sitting around for hours on end relaxing. I also am not a water person, so spending hours in a pool with nowhere to go doesn't make my heart super happy. But Fernando was relaxed; he didn't have to take care of me or his mom. We were safe and secure in this little resort and he was happy. I love seeing him happy so I was content. I was also actively planning our next adventure, another tour with Admire Mexico for Wednesday afternoon (Manzanillo was Monday-Tuesday).
Then it was too hot so I isolated myself to the shade of the restaurant for lunch (which is like...dinner time for Canadians). I ate a lot and mostly enjoyed it. Some things I wasn't willing to try, but most of it was good. Some of it was really bland. Maybe because I didn't eat the salsas? I don't know what salsas are spicy and what aren't, or what salsas go with what meals. I imagine salsa pairing is comparable to wine pairing. If you get it wrong, it's no bueno.
Then, it was photography time! We navigated to reception and found Nena and Arturo. After they were checked in and bracelets were secure, we went to the top floor to see what sights could be seen, and then we headed for the beach. The sun was going to set and I was hoping for a beautiful sunset. It wasn't quite what I imagined but I really enjoyed it. Fernando and I headed for the rocks that I had scoped out earlier and a random person went passed what we thought was the end of the access on the rocks, but it turned out there was a little cave type walkway you could get through, which gave us better access.
Time for more food. It wasn't really that long after we had lunch, a couple hours probably, but it was dinner time and there was new food to try!
Day 2 -
Sunned out and tired from all the food the day before, Fernando and I headed to the gym in the morning. We did a solid hour in the little gym and then, you guessed it, it was time to eat. We had breakfast at the same restaurant (there's only one on site). The food was fine. The best was the freshly made omellete that I got to customize and watch the cook make. I took some photos on my phone but I can't upload them to here. Something is up with the format so I will look into that for future posts, but in the mean time, you just get my words.
We finished up our stay with a nap and then headed into Manzanillo. We checked out the main square and Fernando and I wandered around. The area around the square of Manzanillo is in stark contrast to the resort area. Houses are older and worn. In some cases they look like they will break apart with a strong wind. I know they won't, but the age of the town shows in the wear of the old buildings. We found a book in a little bookstore that we are going to use to help me improve my spanish. My pronunciation is terrible so this book, combined with Fernando, will help. Then we can look for little elementary school workbooks to help me learn. Duolingo is fine, but it is not teaching me the way I need to learn.
We met his family where they had stopped to wait for us and then headed to another restaurant for lunch. I fell asleep on the way. My nap had been fitful and unproductive but the small nap in the car had me feeling much more alert.
I ate so much food. There's a trend here. The closer I get to leaving Mexico, the more food I eat. It's some kind of messed up mentality that I won't get to enjoy the food for another year so I should eat it all. As if eating it all makes it so I can savour it for the next 11 months? Anyway, this blog isn't about my horrible eating habits. It's about sunshine and exploring. We had seafood; I tried a Mexican version of fish and chips. It was really good. There were also tacos devoured. The small, local restaurants have the resort food beat, hands down. Then we headed home, hearts happy, stomachs too full, and ready for the next day's adventure.
