April 15, 2007

Perhaps it was the dreaded "beach fatigue".

Or perhaps, after three months of being together virtually 24/7 in the tight confines of a VW van, Adrienne and I were running out of things to talk about.

Or maybe it was because Manzanillo is a port city and the historic centre and the beaches on the bay compete with shipyards and heavy industry, making it not as attractive as the other coastal locations we had stayed in so far.

But for whatever reason, Manzanillo was the first well-known Mexican resort destination that didn´t work for us.

Manzanillo does not have any campsites so we stayed at the expensive Hotel La Posada (by our 2007 "road trip to Mexico & Central America" standards, that is) in the Las Brisas district.

Accurately described by its owners as a "small seaside inn", Hotel La Posada serves hearty American-style breakfasts in the relaxing sala, or great room" inclusive with the room price.

The hotel is situated close to the centre of the bay, with the Zona Dorado or hotel zone is visible to the north and the old city and port visible to the south.

On the second day, I woke before 7 am and, with the air still cold and moist, sat on the deck looking west out to the bay, and watched the Manzanillo morning unfold.

As the sun rose above the old city, the band of smog that crossed the bay burned off, and I watched a freighter appear beside the breakwater stuffed with containers and pulled by a tug. Ashen black soot belched from its smokestack, soiling the sky.

As soon as the first freighter was far enough out, another one that had been bopping in the bay waiting for a berth started to come in.

Given that Manzanillo is Mexico's busiest port, surpassing Veracruz in 2004, this level of freighter activity made sense. And it's likely only going to get busier.

According to InternationalReports.net, officials see the port as the cornerstone for the state of Colima's economic development and,

"With nearly 90 percent of Mexico's trade being with the United States, Manzanillo's access to the western coast, as well as to Houston via rail and other eastern seaboard destinations via the Panama Canal, is seen as key to attracting investment."

Key Facts & Figures:

-Hotel La Posada: $66/night

Source: "Manzanillo's port is cornerstone of Colima's economic development" www.internationalreports.net