A Winter Vacation Story
The story starts with the Blue Nose II, a replica of the fishing and racing schooner Bluenose, commissioned by Sidney Culverwell Oland and built in 1963 as a promotional yacht for Oland Brewery. Sidney Oland donated the schooner to Nova Scotia in 1971, and it has since operated as a sailing ambassador and promotional device for Nova Scotia tourism. In honour of her predecessor’s record, Bluenose II does not officially race. I sailed twice on the Blue Nose, the last time in 1981 with my brother Gilles, his girlfriend Gaétanne, her sister, and my girlfriend Lisette (pictures below). But for this story, we will use the 1976 version, the first time that I sailed on the Blue Nose with my friend André Branchaud during the Summer Olympics. After the tour, we went to the souvenir shop, and I purchased a T-shirt with the tails side of the 10 cents; of course, the boat on the dime is the Blue Nose II.
In June of 76, I met a woman named Helena, who would be my girlfriend for a few years. I went with André on a Maritime trip in July. Now we need to fast-forward to March 1977 in Acapulco, Mexico. There, we live at the El Tropicano Hotel with my girlfriend, Helena. As I am a big fan of Elvis Presley, I wanted to visit all the places Elvis was filmed in the movie “Fun in Acapulco”, a 1963 American musical comedy film starring Elvis Presley and Ursula Andress. Between 1963 and 1977, hotels changed owners and names. Still, the buildings remained the same, so we visited the El Presidente, the Holiday Inn, the Hilton, and La Quebrada, which is one of the most famous tourist attractions in Acapulco, Mexico. Divers entertain tourists by jumping off either of two ledges on the cliff: one is 40 feet (12 m) high, and the top one is 80 feet (24 m) high. The divers must calculate the right moment to jump to catch an incoming wave and avoid serious injury or death. Occasionally, jumpers dive with a torch. Most of the divers come from the Quebrada family. Although cliff diving at La Quebrada had taken place for many years, it was not until 1934 that the La Quebrada Cliff Divers was formed.
One day, we decided to go to the Bullfight. Acapulco historically hosted bullfights, notably at the Caletilla Bullring, featuring matadors like Javier Bernaldo and Amado Luna, as seen on old postcards. Still, traditional violent bullfighting is largely phased out in many Mexican cities, with Mexico City even moving towards non-violent versions. In contrast, bullfighting exists in Mexico, but Acapulco’s scene isn’t a primary modern draw like Mexico City or Spain’s Madrid, focusing more on cultural nostalgia and, if any, smaller events. So we took a taxi to get there. After the corrida, Helena and I decided to walk around. The place is entirely on the other side of the Bay, and from our hotel, we usually go around the downtown, called the Zocalo, and the hotel. While walking, I noticed a yacht club. Is it the one where Elvis anchored at the beginning of the movie? I wanted to go in, but a guard stopped us, saying it was a private yacht club and only members could enter.
Disappointed, and it is starting to get late for supper, so we spotted a restaurant where we could have Canadian or American food. After the meal, on our way out, a guy stopped me and said, “I know this boat.” Of course, I was wearing my Blue Nose T-shirt. We chat about the Blue Nose when I declare my deception about the Marina Yacht Club, and he replies, ” Hey, I am a member. Come with me, I’ll take you guys to the club.
In the 1963 Elvis Presley film Fun in Acapulco, the Tropicana is a hotel and club where Elvis’s character, Mike Windgren, negotiates a singing job.
Role in the Film: Mike’s young manager, Raoul (played by Larry Domasin), secures him a performing fee of 1,500 pesos at the Tropicana.
Filming Location: While exterior shots of Acapulco were used as background photography, all of Elvis’s scenes, including those supposedly at the Tropicana and the “Acapulco Hilton” (now the Emporio Acapulco Hotel), were actually filmed in Hollywood studios. Replicas of hotel pools and cabanas were used for studio filming.
Real-World Connection: A character actor, Martin Garralaga, is credited as the “Manager of the Tropicana Hotel” in the film’s cast list. There is a famous Tropicana Cabaret in Havana, Cuba, which is a well-known entertainment venue, but the references in the movie are to a fictionalized Acapulco location.
So now you know our hotel, the El Tropicano, exists, but not Elvis’ Tropicana.
Brother Eric Michel or JEM Gagnon
The Quebrada
Photo: Arturo de Albornoz from México D.F., México
We pronounce Lizette, but we write Lisette.
The El Tropicano Hotel
With Helena
Photos Album
The bulls were little veals that didn’t want to charge, then somebody told us that the dead veals are sent to the butcher for poor people.
Note:
Pictures of the marina and the guy at the restaurant are in slide format; one day, I will convert them to JPGs.
