The island is across the channel from the ship’s dock. You can take an open moke for two – or a pulmonia, Mazatlan’s alternative taxi– from the dock area or you can walk about a half mile to the ferry launch. (Make a left as you exit the cruise port and make another left at the end of the street. When you reach the water, take the small dirt road next to the commercial ferry dock. You can see the small green launches from the street. There is also a sign that says Isla de la Piedra.)

For $1 round trip, you share this small launch with about eight others for the 5-minute ride across the channel. Once off the boat, climb over the small rocky hill – there appears a long calm bay lined with "primitive" shacks shaded by palm fronds. This is the place to relax "Mexican" style, as it’s not touristy at all. You can choose from about 15 spots, which are all basically the same – plastic chairs and tables and maybe a menu. They all serve food, beer, soda, or fruit juice. Alcohol is not allowed to be served, but you may find a waiter how has a "spare" bottle of rum willing to share for a tip, as he cannot charge.

Walk along the bay and pick whichever appeals to you – Victor’s at the far end was recommended, and we weren’t disappointed. Don’t expect much – just lay back and enjoy. Some have hammocks and maybe even a lounge chair to relax in. There are very basic banos with running water, very friendly people, and lots of pesky vendors - and no one’s in a hurry. If you need activity, they offer horseback riding, ATV rentals, boogie boards, and jet skis. The sand is easy to walk on, and the very warm calm water is inviting.

We spent a few quiet (and very enjoyable) hours, with two ice-cold beers, two cokes (spiked with rum), crispy beer-battered onion rings, and grilled chicken for a total bill of $7!! This beach is more popular with locals than tourists, especially on weekends, when families come for their day at the beach.

The best beaches are north of town in Nuevo Vallarta and beyond. With the limited hours we had in port, we chose the Nuevo Vallarta resort of Paradise Village. This is a timeshare resort/hotel and spa that is very inviting of casual visitors.

Everything you want is: pools with slides, activities or quiet areas (it’s quiet in the timeshare section, active in the hotel area). The sand is soft and golden - aka brown - and the water is calm. There are complimentarypalapas and lounges, beach and poolside service, two snack bar pavilions, and a casual beachfront restaurant, with tablecloths, offering snacks, a luncheon menu, and drinks in real glasses and bottles!!

Parasailing and jet ski rental is available from beach vendors and spa services provided by the hotel are offered in an air-conditioned beachfront cabana with an ocean view for $110 for a 1-hour couple’s massage.

Lunch was great. W e shared chicken fajitas - six tortillas with guacamole and beans for $10, which was more than enough. There were also $2.50 Pacifico and $4 margaritas served with chips and salsa.

Lo and behold, we know people here, as fellow cruisers who purchased a tour from Celebrity are here from 10am to 3pm. The package is $38 per person, and they are transported by coach and given one drink coupon and a coupon for buffet at the oceanfront restaurant. Our deal was better.

Want to do it on your own? If you leave the cruise terminal and go to the street, you may negotiate a taxi ride for about $10. A little more adventuresome would be to cross the street to the bus stop at Wal-Mart and wait for a gray ATM bus that says Nuevo Vallarta. Don't worry, there are dispatchers there. It will cost $1.20 per person, and the ride is about 20 to 30 minutes depending on traffic. Get off at Paradise Village Shopping Plaza and cross the street to the resort.

The Plaza has lots of the same shops as downtown, selling fine jewelry, a few excellent home decor items (wall accents and serving pieces), T-shirts, groceries, pharmacy and timeshare sales, real estate offers, and fast-food restaurants. There is even a water taxi that goes a few times daily to the marina and downtown, but being on the cruise ship, we were kept to a more rigid schedule.

It was a great day. We wish we were staying longer.

As you exit the ship, a shuttle service is available to downtown for $3 per person--we passed on it, since we're going to the "Jewel of Manzanillo - Las Hadas Resort". Without negotiating, we took a long 20-minute cab ride past a very run-down industrial area, past a few restaurants and a few unappealing hotels along the bay, for $12.

Manzanillo's two long bays are divided by the Santiago Peninsula--this area is home to more upscale hotels and condos. Views as we drive through the hilly, curvy roads of the peninsula are incredible. Blue water, green hills and the white moorish architecture is visually appealing.

As non-guests of the hotel, we are charged $25/per person and are given a coupon booklet to use for services equal to $50 per couple. Two towels and lounge chairs by the pool are $15, while two towels and a beach cabana under a moorish awning is $30. You are allowed to sit at a few tables by the pool or restaurant without extra charge while eating or drinking--but you are made to feel unwelcome and uncomfortable unless you "rent" a towel.

Las Hadas is disappointing--this jewel has lost its luster. The setting is magnificent--the moorish tents on the beach are striking, the towels are huge, everything is white, and the grounds and three pools are very nicely landscaped, but the resort does not live up to six-star status. The chairs are plastic slats without cushions, the canopies dirty, and the security guards are rude and pretend that they do not understand English. Service is mediocre.

The beach sand is dark and firm, like most West Coast beaches, and the water is very calm and warm. You can swim out to a floating dock. The pool water is clear and refreshing (not heated). Rather than having a snack by the pool and a drink served in a styrofoam cup, we opted to take a short walk to the restaurant under the large waterfront palapa. Margaritas are excellent. You can order soups, salads, snacks, or meals from the menu or help yourself from the long buffet. Fresh-made guacamole and salsa are the best. Service here is prompt, friendly, and efficient. Tables are covered with blue cloths. Cooling fans and a great view make this luncheon memorable.

Bo Derek has left, we've left, and we may not return, unless Manzanillo is again tucked into a cruise itinerary. All in all, after hearing stories onboard, Las Hadas was probably the best choice of how to spend the day in Manzanillo.

We tender to shore and walk a few blocks through a quaint little town with a few shops and restaurants to the bus stop. A 15-minute ride--for 35 cents per person--mostly on a highway takes us to Ixtapa. This is the new government endeavor to build hotels (somewhat like Cancun 15 years ago). At first sight, it remind us of Palm Beach in Aruba--high-rise hotels, everything neat and clean, shopping centers with shops, bars, and restaurants across the main boulevard.

We get off the bus and walk through a hotel lobby to the beach, hoping to spend a few hours before returning to Zihua's cute little cove. Nice beach, small breakers with tan, soft sand--a little difficult to walk on. We can't stay at any hotel--they're all-inclusive; therefore, outside guests are not permitted to purchase food or drinks and spend a few hours. That was disappointing, because it does look relaxing. A timeshare exchange here would be pleasant, it seems, but we're off to get a cab back to Playa La Ropa in Zihuatenejo--the area that has managed to retain its small-fishing-village image and charm.

As you pass these booths, there is a rather large area of shops and stands representing all the major vendors from town. Music is playing, bars and food outlets are open, and all wares are invitingly displayed – everything from t-shirts to crafts to silver and diamonds. There’s even Internet access for $2 per 15 minutes or $4 per hour. Phone calls to the states are 45 cents per minute. In hindsight, the shopping here is as good as it gets in Mazatlan.

Taxis and pulmonias (small open cars with canopies) are lined up at the entrance – bargain, bargain! The price will drop. If you are only two people, the open-air mokes are the way to go. We got to the Golden Zone – about a six-mile ride for $6 – with a long ride along the west coast beaches and malecon. After a short stop at an Internet cafe and a little shopping, we found our way to the beach along the hotel strip.

Even with the advance knowledge that the west coast of Mexico is not known for its beaches, we were disappointed. The beach was hard, brown sand, with no palapas or umbrellas, and everyone sits by the hotel pools. The water was warm and calm, and there were a few vendors plying their wares or attempting to persuade you to parasail or jet ski for a while.

Next, we hopped on a new bus with A/C and headed to "Centro" for 70 cents each – again a scenic ride along the waterfront, with its statues of dolphins and fishermen. When you get off at the end, you are in the vicinity of the "market". A stop here is interesting – vegetables, fruit, spices loose in large bins, clothing, and all kinds of meat and fish with many unrecognizable parts for sale (you may not really want to see this), including chicken feet, intestines, pigs’ feet and heads – even brains! Enough! Let’s catch another bus to the ferry point – only a short ride – for a boat ride to Stone Island for part of the afternoon (read Stone Island entry in this journal).