My Weekend Essay, Research Paper

What I Did this Weekend

While on vacation in Acapulco Mexico, I, along with my family and friends took a tour

by boat to a small resort island. As we approached, I was awestruck by its beauty. I knew this

was going to be fun, but had no idea that this place would be forever etched in my mind. We

were greeted at the dock by two natives dressed in brightly colored tropical shirts, white pants

and shoes. They were also wearing smiles just as bright. They escorted us to an open-air type

restaurant with a thatched roof that was actually attached to the pier at which we docked. The

restaurant had a casual atmosphere that made us very comfortable. The food was served buffet

style, with an elegant array of Mexican and American cuisine. The entertainment provided in the

restaurant during and after the buffet was delightful. A ten minute introduction to the Mexican

culture was followed by an intriguing native dance, performed by a man dressed in an authentic

looking costume consisting of only a rawhide G-string with a short apron front. His sandals had

leather cords winding halfway up his legs. This dance depicted a story of a hunter and his prey. It

was narrated by a woman who was also in costume. Brightly dressed Mexican men were beating

drums and banging sticks providing the sound effects for the story. This was truly a great

beginning to a wonderful afternoon. Behind the restaurant was a low mountainous area,

accessible by walking trails only. We hiked one of these trails, observing the brightly colored

tropical plants and trees that flourished greatly on this well maintained terrain. A beautiful

waterfall added to the splendor, and when we reached the top, a lookout provided a panoramic

view of the entire bay. What a breathtaking sight! There was a bar here, and after a cool drink

we decided to head down. We took a different trail down that brought us to the base of the

mountain. In front of us, about 150 feet was the beach. It was 90 degrees and the Mexican sun

made the sand hot under our feet. However, a gentle breeze kept us comfortable otherwise.

On the beach we rented a cabana, which is little more than a thatched umbrella, table and beach

chairs. There, we sat and enjoyed one of those big tropical drinks that has fruit on the edge of the

glass and a small umbrella of its own. Staring out into the bay from my chair, was possibly the

most serene feeling I have had in my life. There were many people around and they were making

plenty of noise, but my mind was absorbed with the natural beauty of this place. It was like none

that I had ever seen before. Looking across the bay toward the mainland, with all its hustle and

bustle, I felt as if I had found paradise. I had been to the ocean twice before, but only in the U.S.,

and never to a bay. Bay waters are much calmer, and therefore much clearer-so clear, in fact,

that at a depth of six feet I was able to see a penny. The color of the water is also amazingly

different from ocean water. The intensity of the blue color is almost fluorescent. After we rested,

we decided it was time to get wet, so we donned our snorkeling gear and entered the warm

water. I had never snorkeled before, but it wasn’t long before I felt comfortable. Most of our

experience was in very shallow water and I don’t think it was ever necessary to go down more

than ten feet. The fish didn’t seem to be bothered by our presence, and although I don’t know

what kind they were, I touched two of them, and their reaction was only to flip their tail. About

forty feet out from the beach it was still only about seven or eight feet deep, and that’s where the

coral appeared. This is something that no television or video could do justice to. The vivid colors

of the coral alone were enough to make this whole trip worthwhile. There were many different

types of fish, most of them with vibrant colors, varying in size from the size of a silver dollar, to

the size of a foot or more in length. If you’ve seen the salt water fish aquariums in a pet store,

you know of the vibrant colors that I am talking about. But being in the water with these

creatures of beauty, who seem to welcome your presence, is something that needs to be

experienced to appreciate. Wading back toward shore, I have to say I was sorry that this part of

the day was over. Back on the beach, a horn signaled the need to prepare for the trip across the

bay. Fortunately, the boat which came to pick us up was not the same as the boat that dropped us

off. This one had a glass bottom that enabled the passengers to observe everything beneath the

boat. There was an experienced diver who was a part of the entertainment. He dived under the

boat, and as we watched in awe, he grabbed the tail of a seven-foot shark, pulling himself close

enough to the shark?s head to be bitten, and he then began to pet the shark as if it were only a

puppy. Other antics were included with a couple of other fish as we made our way back to the

mainland. Once on shore we headed back to our hotel just in time to see yet another attraction,

an Acapulco sunset! We made our way to the roof of the hotel, so that we could get a panoramic

view. The rainbow of colors in the sky was more than you could see in any painting, no matter

who the artist. There were hues of peach to deep orange, pale pink to deep fusca and purple.

Gold was entwined throughout, and the sun itself was like a ball of fire. The colors kept

changing, as if an artist was continually trying to improve on its beauty. The sunset lasted about

twenty minutes, but the colorful streaks in the sky remained vivid for another half hour. I have

never seen a magnificent sunset like this ever before. Twenty years have passed now since that

trip. In that time I have seen many beautiful places, but none have made as profoundly an

impression on me as that little island in Acapulco Bay.

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