Going Home

We were up at the crack of dawn.  My Cousin and her guy were leaving on a shuttle at 6:45 a.m. The good part is that we managed to get some really good pics with the Sunrise.  There was a particularly bright star under the moon, and it was a must have pic. 

After saying our goodbyes, I knew I was never going back to sleep, so I began the task of breaking down the Condo. While I was doing this, I received a call from Lupita.  She brought us tamales!!  (Shhh....this is against the rules due to Covid, but Covid be damned...I’m not missing out on the best tamales I’ve ever sampled!) I hurry down to get them and when I went to tip her, she held me close and said “No, this is from my heart”. Yeah, I’m tearing up just writing this. 

Breaking down the condo:

1. Empty all trash cans
2. Throw out all refrigerator items
3. Strip down all beds
4. Collect all towels, wash cloths, linens and place in pile
5. Put all dirty dishes in dishwasher and run
6. Make sure all hair dryers are back in their bags
7. Throw out all soap bars
8. Look for loose trash and throw out
9. Check all plugs (Apple connectors)
10. Take all recyclables and trash to trash cans 
11. And last but most certainly not least...leave a tip for my housekeeping staff.

I break down the Condo for a number of reasons:

1. Especially in Cabo, the housekeeping staff are not paid enough and it makes their job easier.
2. It helps to ensure the next guest gets into the room on time.
3. It’s my home away from home, so I treat it that way.
4. I don’t pay housekeeping fees (part of my member package), so this helps out.
5. It builds my reputation. Believe it or not, I have a very good reputation (especially with Coral Baja, Villa Vera Puerto Mio) and it goes a long way to ensuring that I’m treated well and I stay in the best Condos. 

This trip, they took excellent care of me, and I appreciate it! They have come to be my second family.

The Golden Rule goes far in Mexico. Her people are generous and warm. Her scenery varies, her tequila is exquisite, the food unforgettable, the weather stunning...but it’s mostly her people. I just can’t stop coming back!  Now...if I could just get a grip on Spanish...

Quads!

 Today was about doing all the pre-prep before leaving the condo tomorrow.  We planned an ATV excursion for the evening, so it was important too pre-pack so we’re not doing it in the morning. Check out is at 10, which I feel is a little early, but they didn’t ask the owners, so...

After getting that stuff out of the way, we got ready and headed down for our ride.  Come to find out, we were headed for a little town called Migrino, sandwiched between Cabo San Lucas and Todos Santos. Needless to say, the ride was a little long, but the scenery was phenomenal.

Once we arrived, we went through the whole “upsale” routine, i.e. do we want to upgrade our quads? Have a Private tour? Insurance? Yeah, these things add up fast...even if you are careful. When we signed, we were unaware of the Land usage fee that was quite expensive, on top of what we paid for the excursion.  Just be prepared.  Once again, we had to lock up our gear and phones...NO PICTURES!      The last time I did an ATV tour, that wasn’t an issue, and we had tons of pictures, but now...they’ve figured out how to hold you hostage. Note to self...may have to invest in those camera glasses.

We strapped on our helmets, tightened our bandanas and hopped on our ATVs.  As luck would have it, my niece and I ended up on the lead right behind the Tour Guide. She was ahead of me, and we headed off.  It was pretty smooth sailing, and my niece held her own, but it was her first time on a Quad, and she was taking it a little slow...which is absolutely normal, but without the confidence, she didn’t feel comfortable on her own.  The Guide stopped to take an assessment of our line of people, and he talked to her and told her that she could ride behind him.  He let me know that we couldn’t get our money back, which was fine, and asked me to switch machines with hers, as it was better.  Someone would come along later and get the spare Quad.

Off we went, with me being directly behind the Guide....and I LOVED that position.  I could let loose and have some serious fun. We rode the quads along the ocean, and then into the desert.  Most of the terrain was fairly easy, but he took us on one squirrelly part and over the hill.  Because of the terrain, you couldn’t go slow through this part.  It required the muscle of the machine and you had to power through it.  Unfortunately, someone with less experience flipped her Quad over.  I didn’t know what was going on and was told to follow him, so I did.  We turned back and helped the girl right her machine.  The rest of the line had stayed in line. So when the Guide turned around, I followed, but ended up getting cut off.  No worries. 

However, I ended up with a couple of less confident women in front of me and that made for some slow areas.  As a girl that likes a little speed and a challenge, well....let’s just say, when we ended up on the beach again, there as an opportunity to pass them, and I took it. We paused at a rock grouping along the ocean, and took a break.  It was also an opportunity for the photographer to take posed pictures, so that’s what we did.  The rest of the ride was in the dark with our lights on, which I really liked because it reminds me of the Night Rider video game, which I was a really good at.

My niece loved being behind the guide because he was going fast, and she could enjoy the ride, scenery, etc. So she got the best of both worlds and she was happy...which is the whole point, right?

After a nice dinner, we ended our day knowing it was the final one, and soon, we’d be headed home.

One More Time in San Jose del Cabo

 The morning started out pretty uneventful.  My niece and I were going to do some painting downstairs with the activity guy, but the booth was closed.  The sky let some rain loose, and the patio was wet, but nothing to serious...only enough to cause humidity, and for the first time in two weeks, I had to use the AC in the Condo.

We headed down and my cousin met us with a taxi ride, which dropped us off at mid-town.  For the first time this trip, I had problems getting funds out of the bank ATM.  Seems my bank kicked in the protection protocols, and I had to call to get them to correct it.  Ah well. No worries.  We did some shopping and headed to the restaurant we frequented last Wednesday.  

It didn’t disappoint. I got sashimi, and for $8, it was more than generous. The one thing I have a pet peeve about it having to figure out everyone’s bill.  So just a note to you travelers, download the iCurrency app, which helps you convert your dollars to whatever currency you need, and download Tip Check.  What I like about Tip Check is it allows you to divide the bill into however many people, add a tip at whatever percentage you choose, you can add the tax, etc. I use this app all of the time, and it’s easy to use the Mexican pesos in it.

San Jose del Cabo has a Art Walk every Thursday night from 5 to 9 p.m. We headed off to the walk, with a promise to come back and watch the Mexican dancers at the restaurant. My goodness, there’s some talented work.  I wanted to take pictures, but I didn’t want to be disrespectful or make it look like I was stealing their work.  Even my niece appreciated the cool art work.

We stood in line and got fresh Churros and potato chips.  Yep, they deep fry em on the spot and serve them up hot.  It was so good.  We also did some more shopping, but my niece hasn’t found the hoodie she wants.  If there’s a way to get one before we go, we will.

We went back and watched the dancers.  I should have taken pictures there as well, but I didn’t.  It was fun to watch and enjoy and you can tell they were having fun as well.  We called it a night after that and Uber’d home.  Unfortunately, my niece, after using the hot tub, slipped on the stairs and bruised herself.  Fortunately, that is all that happened. Tomorrow, we pack up early so we can do our evening ATV activity and not worry about Saturday Morning....Checkout is at 10 a.m.  Ugh!

Lazy Day

Finally captured a sunrise.  Not through lack of trying, but the winds on the rooftop deck made it rough.

Today was a lazy day.  I had to explain the concept to my niece that you can’t just go, go, go and not take time to relax. It makes the vacation stressful. So that’s what we did.

My Angel on the Beach

We played on the beach, we played on our computers, we relaxed, hit the jacuzzi, made a salad and tostada, etc. I’m really trying to teach her that vacationing shouldn’t be all about the money.  Cut costs by using the kitchen in the condo, making some of your meals, etc.  I attend a presentation at the beginning of the trip so I can get discounts on any excursions so I’m not paying full price.  

Someday, she and her brother will be in charge of the timeshare, and they need to know how to use it...make it work for them.  One day, I know she’ll get it...but first, she has to recognize the value of money, why its important, and how to treat it.  Hell, I’m still learning, so....

Ziplining with Costa Azul Ziplines

 So we all settled on an excursion of  ziplining.  This was good because my niece wanted to hike...and hike we did. It actually wasn’t far from our resort, but they drove us to some desert canyons. The walls were incredible scenery.  We all had our tennies on, ready to do this. 

When we get out of the van, we go through orientation, where they give us keys to lock everything up. They do not allow any photography because they want you to buy their pictures.  While I would’ve loved a few pics of my niece, I had already done that route the last time, and paid big money for dolphin pics. They really price gouge you, and I am on limited funds right now.

We geared up and put our hair in these blue caps, then on went our protective helmets.  We picked up our trolleys and headed up the hill. I believe the first and second ziplines were 150 feet high and 1500 feet in length to get us acclimated to using the line. We went these twice and it was a blast.  Then we headed across a suspension bridge (not my first, but fun) and went that was around 300 feet high and 4,000 feet long.  What a rush.  My niece wanted me to go first a couple of times, but after that, she handled it like a champ. 

After that we did the rappel. My niece had a hard time with this one. She got all the way to the ledge, but couldn’t make the step over.  The first step is the hardest and requires complete trust of the equipment and the people helping you.  She beat herself up for not doing it, but I was proud that she got as far as she did.

Plus, she did all of the ziplining, so she conquered most of her fears.  She’s only 18.  She’s got plenty of time to do it, if she wants. 

After the final zipline race (Beanie won by a hair), we headed down and got something to eat and drink. The Damiana Factory tour wasn’t really a tour, but more of a tasting.  I would’ve loved to have heard what makes Damiana different from tequila (other than the Damiana plant that we all sampled). Is the preparation the same? Who knows.  

We headed back to our resort for a swim in the pool and more relaxation.  That evening, we watched fireworks from two different resorts. That was fun.

Cabo San Lucas

Today, we went into Cabo San Lucas.  We got on the bus and it was only $2, which let us off at the Para Parisio which is the huge mall undergoing construction.  We walked to Medano beach to visit the Office and Mango Deck.  We ended up at the Deck and got a table on the beach...a little too close to the barrier it would seem, because we fought off every vendor that came to sell stuff.

My niece got suckered by the iguana guy, not realizing that if you do a selfie with him, you’re required to tip him.  Lesson learned. We ordered some food and watched the games.  If you’ve been to the Mango Deck, you know it’s all about the games.  We did the “guess the theme song” and didn’t do too bad, but this table of guys beat us.  I have to admit, part of the time, the vendors on the beach distracted me.  Ah well.

We got my niece to go up and do the beer cup flip contest.  However, she was pared with a ringer.  This girl knew how to down beer and flip the cup. My niece was eating dust, but I was so proud of her or going out of her comfort zone and doing it.

After we left the deck, we went into the office to check things out and gaze at all of the tequila bottles.  The had this great tree with glass hearts on it.  I’d love to see it at night.  The plan was to head to Cabo Wabo, but half way there, half of our party decided to duck out and head back to the Condo. The niece and I soldiered onward. We hit some shops to look for hoodies, and hit a bank so she could change out her American dollars for Mexican pesos.

Then...it was Cabo Wabo time. She picked up a cool shirt and I picked up a face mask. We both drank overpriced beverages for the honor of hanging out in Sammy’s bar. We exited and walked around the town shopping at the little stores. 

My niece found a cute bathing suit coverup, and then we decided to head home. We caught the bus back and then had dinner at Sardina Cantina. It was a good day.

We did take time out to remember it was D Day, and when we got back to the condo found out we lost Chuck Yeager. I know the younger generation doesn’t understand the implications of Pearl Harbor and WWII but I hope the message never gets lost.

Day Fade

 This is what my niece calls day drinking.  I went down early to determine the cost of activities and then the niece and I procured a palapa on the beach.  We proceeded to relax, surf our appliances and headed to the beach to play in the waves.

I was feeling a little “off” this morning and really didn’t want to head into town or anything, so this was the way to go.

However, my niece really wanted to do the 2x1 happy hour drinks, and at 18, she’s legal, so I indulged her.  We got into the pool and saddled up to the swim up bar.  We had Miami Vices, Bahama Momma’s, Mojitos and some kind of monkey drink.  Honestly though, I kept a close watch and made sure she wasn’t on the other side of drunk.  

Some older guy came up to her and asked, “Are you old enough to drink?” To which my niece replied...”In this Country I am”.  I laughed, and was proud of her comeback.  That doesn’t mean I didn’t watch her like a hawk.  Toward the end of the evening, she says “Auntie, you didn’t drink that much.” That’s because I’m the wingman, and if I’m gonna allow you to drink, I need to have my wits about me so nothing happens to you. 

We went up to the Condo and got ready for dinner.  We decided on Guacamaya’s, which we had frequented the last time we were here.  She had a potato with arracherra, and I had this cheesy concoction with mexican sausage, peppers, onions, etc that you put in a tortilla and enjoy. It was a nice, laid back evening and we had fun. 

Upon our return, I helped reset an iPad while she talked with friends on her phone on the rooftop patio. She got a little loud, and I had to remind her that if I can hear her shenanigans, so can the neighbors, so she toned it down. 

Tomorrow, we go into Cabo!