Hooliganting: Bending the Rules: Do or Die

Hooliganting: Bending the Rules: Do or Die: Frozen windows and crystals forming outside are signs that it is desperately cold outside. This is winter with a vengeance and today, we...

Bending the Rules: Do or Die

Frozen windows and crystals forming outside are signs that it is desperately cold outside. This is winter with a vengeance and today, well, vengeance came with the blasting of the alarm. Falling into routine, I hustled the girls out of bed and began to get ready when the shiny alarm face triggered the LATE response. Today was specialist at the hospital day for my eldest.

SUGAR

Turbo mode hits and I chased the children around the house, into snowsuits and grabbed breakfast to go. So far, time is salvageable so I drop my youngest at a friends so she can catch the bus and I head off. Through the four way stop, to the lights on Rainbow Creek and the abs light flashes with the battery light. Uh oh. Pondering it I kept going until suddenly more lights flash and I turned for home. I didn't make it. The van stuttered into a parking lot. My eldest and I started to walk for home, only to find that the parking lot was well fenced and we had to go around. We were already blue with cold after 15 minutes. My phone was already dead from the cold (or yes I would have kept trying to reach friends). It was only -33 outside - almost tropical. After glancing at my eldest, I made a decision I thought I would never make.

I waved over a truck. The man pulled over and I asked him for a ride home. Pierre - I bless you from the roots of my heart. He arranged his back seat for miss and I clambered into the front seat and he drove us home to warmth and the truck parked in the drive. As he drove, I just sighed and said "A...remember that rule about not talking to strangers? And the one about never hitchhiking? And the one about never getting in a vehicle with someone you don't know?" "I'm sorry to confuse you but you were getting far too cold and this was survival first." After all, there are some amazing people out there and not everyone is crazy. I was so grateful. It was just a moment. To the man in the truck. THANK YOU.

So, the next step was "borrowing" the truck. I scrambled into the house, and rifled the cupboard for the spare key kept there and went back out to drive my eldest to the hospital for her appointment. Now, these appointments are booked months in advance and the specialist only comes once a month and we were already late by this point. I drove. As we neared the hospital, the flat tire light flashed onto the dash. Shaking, I pulled into the parking lot and dropped miss at the door. The light did not go away. I pulled onto the street and parked. By this point, I was in a state of disbelief. I checked on the pulmonary function test and since I wasn't needed I made some critical calls from the hospital wall phone to the mechanics and towing companies, the tire place and truck boss to fess up. Oh and of course, work - since I wasn't there either. Sigh.

I guess I looked like I was in rough shape as I had all sorts of offers of coffee, tissues, moral support. The nurse that knows us well, managed to check up on me and miss. The good news was that she finished her test and got to the Dr. quickly in the end, despite being late. The bad news was that the test wasn't perfect. Redo? The good news was that despite a wee glitch - she is good for six months now and the medication is working for her asthma. Wahooo! Bad new was that she needs a puffer for safety in the cold. She will lose it pronto. Sigh.



Next stop: the truck. Note to self - when "borrowing" a truck, you wind up on the hook for the maintenance of that vehicle. The nasty low pressure light was still on and at my wits end, I limped the truck to the tire shop. Walking in, I just asked the staff "please fix my day." I was shaking with cold and miss wasn't much better so they offered hot chocolate and coffee. Meanwhile, the fellow mechanic wandered out to check the tires without his coat! No, there was one flat tire on the truck. There were two.

SUGAR

The tires were fixed and finally I got miss to school. Checking on the van - it was still there so tried to see what was wrong. Yeah, that didn't go well and I got more cold. So, I headed for work and actually got some things done there and defrosted. If there is a hot spot on the planet, I swear it is my office. The process did take more coffee though. After work, I headed for home and THE VAN WAS STILL THERE. No tow truck. So, that meant more phone calls and more aggravation. I guess the van might be pooched for my Edmonton trip.

Silver lining moments are present in every bad day though.

• The evening activities happened as planned.
• My eldest got her swim badge
• My youngest got her special book order
• My friends really rallied around and offered help once they realized I had a problem.
• We are safe and sound at home
• My family is awesome and able to help me make the rest of the week happen.

Yes, I am once again grateful for the little things. What if this had happened on my trip to Edmonton?

That doesn't bear thinking about...so yes...thank you that this day was today and not Friday. 

Hooliganting: Los Cabos: Snorkeling and ATV's

Hooliganting: Los Cabos: Snorkeling and ATV's: How swiftly a week passes while on vacation. Our last day dawned hazy but warm. I had really wanted to go snorkelling so after wandering int...

Los Cabos: Snorkeling and ATV's

How swiftly a week passes while on vacation. Our last day dawned hazy but warm. I had really wanted to go snorkelling so after wandering into San Jose Del Cabo, we found a wee shop that also sold tour tickets.This was definately the way to go! All the details were correct and there were no hiccups at all.

The Cabo Rey left from the Cabo San Lucas Waterfront Marina. I know that we should have been more sensible, but I really hate paying for taxis at $20 when the bus is very cheap and also goes where I want it to go. Besides, what is more fun than taking the bus? We left around 8:30 in the morning and walked to the bus stop near the Mega. Of course, we just missed the bus and watched it speed merrily by. That meant a 15 minute wait for the next bus. At least this time, the sun was shining. The bus arrived with a sign in the window indicating Cabo San Lucas so off we went for our $27 pesos. Now, you would thing that since our last bus adventure, we would have learned a thing or two about where the bus would stop. We thought that we had that well thought out. And…

We were wrong.

The bus did not go to the Marina as we had anticipated. Instead, the bus reached an overpass and decided that we should get off along with four other passengers and he gestured to the road ahead. The sun heated the pavement and off we trudged, as fast as trudgers can trudge. We stopped twice to check our directions and hustled. I don’t think I have ever been so happy to see a shopping mall. We walked into the grand mall and the air conditioning blast was lovely. In fact, my delightful partner in crime took the opportunity to shoe shop for closed toe shoes while I cooled off. Shoes purchased, we headed straight around the Marina walking very fast to try and reach the Cabo Rey dock before the boat left. Of course, the boat was docked at the furthest mooring point. Finally, out of breath, we made it to the ship only to discover that we were early. How did we manage that?

The Cabo Rey was fabulous. While in dock, we were able to see the infamous sea lion playing in the harbour. Since we were early, we had first dibs on the buffet and access to the comfy VIP seating. We relaxed under the sunshine and after more passengers arrived, we cast off and sailed away. First, the ship sailed along to view the glorious beaches and El Arcos. The boat circled while we watched kayakers, snorkelers and water taxies jockey for position around the waves around the beautiful arches. The waiter danced attendance on my need for more than one cup of coffee and then off we sailed to Chileno Beach.

Chileno Beach was beautiful. Ironically, while on the bus I had pointed out the beach and it was where I had thought we might get another beach day in to practise snorkelling. We suited up and hit the rolling waves and the water was fabulous. The fish were stunning and all colours. There were some that I had never seen before. I loved the blue ones but was disconcerted when I turned to see my friend prowling the waters in a kayak instead. She preferred to be on the water, not in it, so that was an option. In the meantime, I shrieked underwater when I was completed surrounded by fish that were cuddling up against me. I guess I swam into the feeding zone and had slippery fishy bodies brushing my legs and arms and face. Since that was not my thing, I swam further out so I could watch them from a distance. All good things come to an end, and we were called back to the boat and sailed back to harbour. 

From there, we headed back to the mall where we were met by the Three Amigos transport. We were the first pick up and the driver headed to a hotel where we were joined by a very rambunctious group of American tourist. (Sorry, this is the group that gives American tourists a bad name). After watching them drink and smoke, we sighed. It was going to be a long journey. 

On arrival to the Three Amigos headquarters about 45 minutes outside of town, we signed our waivers and got our helmets, bandanas for the dust and found our ATV’s. Interestingly, you can also ride horses here, which was tempting. Next time.  We also learned that we could have had a private tour …again…next time we would book that. In the meantime, our wonderful guides gave us the rules of the road and we set out. The rowdy crew raced off and broke every rule while those of us that had more sense figured out to hang back and have fun. 

This was SO fun. I had never ridden an ATV before but after about 5 minutes, I was having an amazing time. The tour guides took us over the hills, through twists and turns, down under the highway, and over to the sand dunes. The best fun was over the beaches and down to the cove. There were two breaks and the sun was setting as we rode the ATV’s back. This was incredible and I would totally recommend this, despite the lecture dished out by the tour guides to the other members of the crew. They only broke two ATV’s after all.

We were driven back to the hotel afterwards and I opted for not cooking and having dinner out. We went to La Galleria. I have to be honest and say I did not enjoy my meal there as much as I had hoped I would. However, they handed me a free dessert and an apology so that made up for it. All in all, not a bad way to end a vacation. Some wine and conversation ended the evening, along with counting shooting stars.

The next morning saw us both on airplanes traveling back home. I landed to snow and cold…not nearly as much fun. Next trip, back to Disney in Florida in February. Stay tuned. ;-)

VIP Seating

Hooliganting: Los Cabos: Zip Lines and San Jose Del Cabo's Art W...

Hooliganting: Los Cabos: Zip Lines and San Jose Del Cabo's Art W...: One of the favorite activities of Mexican vacation spots is zip lining. I love zip lining so I am no better than all the other tourists ou...

Los Cabos: Zip Lines and San Jose Del Cabo's Art Walk

One of the favorite activities of Mexican vacation spots is zip lining. I love zip lining so I am no better than all the other tourists out there. All hotels have their favorite companies that they use through their travel services. This was the one tour that we booked through the hotel. Our first trip was cancelled due to rain and on this occasion, the driver couldn't seem to remember that we were supposed to be picked up. However, once that was sorted out, we were taken about 20 minutes down the road towards Cabo San Lucas and then turned into the hills. The zip lines were strung in between the canyon walls with hikes in between.

I loved this tour but for me, it wasn't about glorious scenery, it was about feeling like I was flying. It is so free. The guides were funny and humorous, and safety felt like it was well taken care of. I did notice that my key for my locker opened up someone else's lockers so the illusion was there Mexican style. This tour had the usual pressure for tips and to purchase tequila for the tequila tastings, but it was good value for money I thought. Canopy Costa Azul Eco Adventures was the name of the company - and we still had a lot of our day left afterwards so another plus! Oh, and all these images had to be purchased. Sigh.

The tequila tastings were also on site. There were four flavours to choose from and sampling was encouraged. However, I chose not to sample due to bad experiences previously. This stuff had no cane sugar and was made from the Agave plant directly so it was rather different. Maybe someday, I will be brave. Lol.

Since we still had daylight left, we relaxed by the pool and then wandered to San Jose Del Cabo to find the post office. We decided to participate in the San Jose Del Cabo Art Walk, so we also decided to dine at Habaneros. Great restaurant! We ran into friends at the restaurant and they had a musician come by to serenade us. It was lovely and the food was definitely worth the stop!

From here, we ambled into town only to discover that the usual art walk had vanished into thin air. The plaza was almost deserted. Still, we were there so we ventured further. This led us to exploring the open door of the church, and there on the curb was some art. Being me, I don't give up so we wandered further and found art shops and proprietors doling out free wine and goodies. The southern charm opened the door to a friendly fellow and we spent a quick few minutes looking at his artwork before having to escape. Kisses were free for southern belles anyway. GRIN - I was so chopped liver. It was awesome! From dresses, to sculpture, to jewelry to crazy artist and tacky tourist marts - this little hollow had it all. Fabulous.

Art in city hall

The crazy artist's paintings

Inside of the church

Outside of the church

Art in the street

A wee museum

Now, I have no idea what the Art Walk was supposed to be, but by 9:00ish things were winding down. There are lots of small restaurants and bars so we stopped for a chocolate martini before heading for home. All in all, a charming and eclectic day.

Hooliganting: Los Cabos: Timeshare and San Jose Flora Farms

Hooliganting: Los Cabos: Timeshare and San Jose Flora Farms: I realize that I have delayed this post, simply due to the fact that I like to write about traveling in some sort of cohesive time frame, an...

Los Cabos: Timeshare and San Jose Flora Farms

I realize that I have delayed this post, simply due to the fact that I like to write about traveling in some sort of cohesive time frame, and on reaching this day I was almost lost for words. This would be the day that we booked into the owner's meeting at the Grand Mayan Hotel in San Jose del Cabo. There are redeeming features of this day in the life of a traveler in Mexico, but the morning left such a poor impression that I feel I should at least mention it again in passing without being too nasty about it (but I would really like to be).

To elaborate on my first commentary http://hooliganting.blogspot.ca/2013/11/los-cabos-2013-grand-mayan-and-san-jose.html Do NOT ever agree to sit through a timeshare presentation at this resort. Both my friend and I were required to attend, so in good faith we walked down and went to the desk. I informed them that I couldn't make any financial commitments that day, nor could my guest. The timeshare people work on commission, so we wanted to ensure that our presenter had the opportunity to make a living. The manager persuaded us that they just wanted to show us the property and make sure that we were getting the most out of our stay. Fine. We did the tour and it was lovely. Mind you, this is after maintenance refused to fix a locked door and had been to our room several times. It is after all the tours we booked through the front desk had glitches. It was after we heard about theft at the gift shop and shady practices by their accounting. So, we weren't really buying the whole glitzed shebang of a tour.

Breakfast was pleasant but nothing spectacular, and by the time that was done it was already 10:00. Then, round two of presentation, following by financial heart attack numbers, followed by sales pitches started. You are forced to say I am sorry, we can't afford this over and over again and it is very demeaning. From here, you say no and get sent to round 3, followed by round 4, followed by a last ditch attempt at round 5. At 11:10, we left to return our rental car completely worn out.

Now, I had been through this before and knew we hadn't been given a decent gift to even warrant that behaviour and I decided a long time ago that unless you are actually able to purchase something, don't even waste your time. Discounts and payments are not worth 2.5 or 3 or 4 hours of your time. I walked out with my friend and we got in the car and went for a spin before we had to return the car. During that ride, I got my friends take and realized how insulting the crew had been. So, I went and demanded an apology for treating a guest of mine badly and of course, they never issued one.

To recover, we spent some time by the pool and went to the concierge to book dinner at Flora Farms. The concierge, by the way, was delightful. The rest of the hotel staff were good to us, just the timeshare sharks were not. So, he booked us in and we went for dinner.

Now Flora Farms is a MUST do if you can swing it. The location is incredible. The staff was awesome. Live music played and blended right in. The food was organic and incredibly tasty. They have a couple of shops and homemade ice cream. There is a vegetable garden and the most amazing bathroom. This was by far worth the $20 cab ride and the $100 price tag. I would definitely say this was one of the best meals I have ever had. I am still annoyed I wasn't able to finish it. Sigh. So, to finish off this post...here are some images as my words don't do it justice.

Roast chicken

Homemade bread

Beet root and carrot gnocchi...oh...could live off these!

 

And you can even stay here

The bathroom! Seriously awesome!

Mail included.