Manzanillo: Port Stop #1
Though San Francisco was mostly nice, it turned cold after leaving the harbor. We had two full foggy, cool days and windy, cold nights. This kept us indoors watching the shows, listening to music and playing. By day three, we were passing by the tip of Baja California. We welcomed the warmth! It was now time to enjoy the pools and explore the ship. Visiting Deck 19, we played a little miniature golf! There was also cornhole and shuffle board with a beautiful view!
As with every cruise, I try to get a “first look” from my balcony. Situated on the Starboard side, we had a nice view of the mountains. Colorful homes lined one part of the shoreline. From the moment we arrived, we could hear gunfire. We learned that the people of Manzanillo celebrate Feast Days and Saint Days. There were boats adorned with flowers circling the marina.
Reaching the southernmost point of our journey, it was extremely hot! We arrived in Manzanillo, Mexico. Having sailed the Mexican Riviera itinerary many times, it was surprising that this was my first visit here. We had tentative plans to visit a Turtle Sanctuary. We were slightly slow moving. By the time we all got off the ship, looking at the arts and crafts booths and left the official port areas, the excursion booths were shutting down. I’ve actually never seen tour guides close down. Considering the drive was 40 minutes each way, we decided to just walk through the town. It was cute but the heat got to me!
Initially, we stuck together, looking in shops. It was soon apparent that we would not get a thing done with everyone wanting to explore different things. Breaking up into smaller groups, we explored the area. Of course, I looked at things to photograph. As a port stop, it wasn’t my favorite. Had I created a “Plan B” instead of the turtles, I may have found some more interesting sites…
This was kind of amusing… one of the shops on the main drag sold only remote controls. It was a narrow shop with the walls inside and out, full of remotes wrapped in plastic and hanging in bunches. I never knew there was such a need for this item! Not wanting to invade her privacy, I didn’t photograph the woman sitting inside the shop. She was on her phone… paying no attention to the swarms of people walking by. Obviously, it was not an often visited location.
All the “color” could be found on the southern end of town. Walking through the main part, we saw off white or stark white buildings and architecture. Turning the corner as I was heading back, I saw all the colorful homes that I viewed from my balcony. I tried for quite some time to get a good photo but it was a popular location for posing… so many people stopped to take solo and group photos. I got one instant between groups to snap a quick shot of the stairs leading up to the homes. As in other cities around the world, the laundry dancing in the breeze caught my attention. Not quite sure why I have a fixation on laundry hanging outside windows… ha!
Known as the “Shellfish Capital of the World”, each year there is a giant fishing contest. However, there is more to Manzanillo. Quite a bit of beautiful artwork can be found while walking the streets. Always a fan of street art, this mural caught my eye. I should have taken a wider angle of the wall because this REALLY stood out with the blandness of the surrounding walls. It was a blast of color!
Many port cities have colorful banners waving in the wind. Whether it be umbrellas or these strings of plastic, they are very eye catching! They seem to dance in the breeze and liven up a street. White walls were spruced up with murals. Had I not been alone at this point, I would probably have stopped into one of the outdoor cafes on this alleyway.
As with most places I visit, statues could be found scattered throughout the city. Manzanillo has done a good job of building up their port entry. For those who aren’t adventurous and just want to get off the ship to stretch and touch ground, this was a cute spot. A couple small parks, a gazebo, statues and several places to take photos.
Unfortunately, I had none of my tribe with me when I saw this spot. I love finding the giant, colorful block letters depicting the town. There were many waiting to take photos in front of it so I took a quick snap and moved on. Usually, I will do a selfie like in Amsterdam or Columbia.
The flag of Mexico waved in the breeze. Earlier, I had tried to take photos but the air was still so it sagged. Taking one last peek as I walked back to the ship, I saw the flag fully stretched out! Perfect!
Portside, I found little booths with all kinds of crafts. Now that I’ve started a new collection, this was the perfect place to find a new addition. Every town I visit, I buy a small bowl or item I can use in my summer charcuterie boards! It’s fun! Olives in my Malaga bowl, slices of cheese a flat, painted tile from Lisbon and fig jam in my Funchal Madeira bowl. It’s become my travel charcuterie!
Lori and I found a jacuzzi and small pool at the very back of the ship. It was a deck or two above the “hidden” pool that is found after walking through the buffet. She was such a good sport to “selfie” with me for the hundredth time!
Just beside the Italian restaurant is a beautiful bar called Adagio. It’s my favorite place to hang out on the few ships with it. It is kind of difficult to get to because it’s on the 16th floor aft. One has to be specifically visiting the Italian restaurant or bar because that is all you can reach when exiting the elevator. It’s one of those spots that it takes people a few days to find (if ever). We met for drinks before dinner!
Our first dinner was at Sabatini’s Italian Restaurant. We opted for the package that included unlimited Specialty dining. Walking in, Lori noticed the beautiful plates on the table. She mentioned taking a photo of it and our waiter decided to be funny and quickly scooped it up. The funny/guilty look on his face made us all laugh and we were bonded from that moment on! Stefan was an excellent waiter!
Once he got the intended laugh, he turned to let Lori take a photo with the plate (and him). At this point, they are just learning how much fun we are! With menus in hand, we got the business of selecting three courses. They had two light courses preset.
Fabulous! That is the best word to describe our dinner! One of the most amazing things about this restaurant is that they can make any of the pasta dishes Gluten Free. Of course, I have that other little issue… no nightshades. Stefan had the Chef create a special sauce so that I could have the seafood linguini. Normally, it is served with a red sauce, but I was able to have a garlic, butter, white wine sauce. Oh my! Talk about yummy yummy! Also, Stefan carved the Branzino off the skin for Laural… such service! Finally, the desserts were over the top. Shown above is the sampler… Two of the items were G/F and two weren’t. Roxanne and I were able to split an order. We may or may not have taken a full order back to our cabin… to be eaten at 3am!
Before leaving, another waiter came by to be introduced… Nina from Serbia. The two of them could have a second career as stand-up comedians! They were so funny together! At the end of our meal, we each tossed out a tip… the manager stopped by to ask about our meal. He noticed the money and got … giddy… He asked if there was anything else they could do for us. I asked if there was any way we could get into the Steak House. It so happened; the Steak House manager was in the hostess station. When called over, he wouldn’t come and kept signaling that they were sold out. It was formal night. The Italian manager said, “Just come look at the table”. Dennis, the Steak House manager saw the tips and immediately changed his tune. “What time would you like to eat?”. I let him know that I understand it being busy on the ship. Thinking it would be helpful to accept a late reservation, he said, “No! You tell me what time you want to eat.”
As it turned out, both restaurants assigned a table to us with the offer that we could go to our table any night, any time. No one else would ever sit at our table. It was reserved for “The Five Ladies”. That was pretty nice!
