Hooliganting: Los Cabos: Cabo San Lucas and Sonia

Hooliganting: Los Cabos: Cabo San Lucas and Sonia: These were the images that flashed on the screen at the hotel, just prior to setting out for the day. You see, I can be a terri...

Los Cabos: Cabo San Lucas and Sonia

These were the images that flashed on the screen at the hotel, just prior to setting out for the day. You see, I can be a terrible optimist. After waking up reasonably early on the Sunday, we wandered out on the deck and then had breakfast. The clouds were heavy on the horizon and there was no promise of a beach day per se. Instead, I grinned over to my intrepid traveling pal and said something along the lines of "It rains, we get wet." Lunch was assembled and instead of wallowing in the hotel, we wandered down to the desk to see if our zip lining tour was going to go.

Those images flashed up and after about 30 minutes, we heard that zip lining was not happening due to the weather. From our point of view, there was a light mist and nothing much happening so, between us, we decided to catch a bus to Los Cabos. $20 for a taxi or 54 pesos for a bus ride. Having a healthy sense of adventure mixed in with a practical budget mind, the bus was appealing.

Yes, we had directions. Yes, we still missed the turn to the Mega and purple flower and so walked the long way around to the bus stop. Then, the clouds opened up and the rain poured down. Warm, windy and wet, our clothes were soon soaked and hair dripping. But, the bus pulled up and we ran for it.

The bus to Cabo San Lucas from San Jose takes about 30 minutes or so, depending on the stops. Plus, the adventure comes into play once you realize that you have no idea where you are, where you are going, or where the bus driver intends to go. The stops are just a guideline. Of course, we missed our stop and finally had the sense to get off when the other adventurous American pair got off the bus with new directions to take transport back the other way. JR were fun and just as lost as us.

The next bus took us back into town where we saw the stop we should have used. For the record, it is right across the street from the fire department.

The Fire Department has some interesting feature vehicles and is apparently a tourist stop complete with gift shop and coffee shop. Of course, we don't have a map and we don't have landmarks so we decided to try and find the beach. The beach in the rain...by now, you know I have no sense. 

Do we go this way?

So, off we went. All four of us were now traveling in a pack. We were in fact heading towards Medano Beach but due to the weather, and a very insistent pedicab driver that was vehement that we were going the wrong way, we never did get there. Instead, we were persuaded to get into his cab (all four of us) and let him pedal towards the Marina. The bike had an epic failure with the chain coming off and the pedicab was finished. So, his friend decided he would try and for the fun of it, we let him.

pedicab bike ride

So, we found ourselves deposited in front of the Hard Rock Cafe. We shopped and then JR decided to find a bar and we went exploring the Marina. We walked through and around soaking in the sights. We found the artisan market and spent the rest of our morning haggling for wares. I think the lack of people due to a closed waterfront meant that we got some better deals than usual. However, it was dry with bathrooms and that was all we needed. In fact, the rain had been on and off and so we ate our lunch perched on the steps of the market where it was dry. We shopped our way around the waterfront to get back and tried to dodge the worst of the rain. The rain circled in and out and was very unpredictable.

The rain was about to pour.

With the weather looming, we opted to try and get to Cabo Wabo to have a drink and relax for a bit. The sky laughed at us and the rain poured out of the sky, turning perfectly good roads into rivers.

A river ran through it.

The water was knee deep in the middle so we bounced our way along street corners and wound up at the Cabo Wabo as perfect contenders for a wet T-shirt contest. I think dripping on the floor actually cleaned it.

The funniest part was meeting up with JR again here. We spent the rest of the afternoon chilling out and drying out. More shopping ensued and then we decided to bus back to the hotel for dinner and drinks on our much appreciated DRY deck.

Lessons learned: Get a map. Get directions before setting out and it rains, you get wet. VERY wet. The weather forecast was pretty much accurate.

Hooliganting: Los Cabos 2013: Grand Mayan and San Jose Del Cabo

Hooliganting: Los Cabos 2013: Grand Mayan and San Jose Del Cabo: Northern climates tend to get a little chilly at this time of year, so my friend from Texas and I met up at the airport in San Jose del Cabo...

Los Cabos 2013: Grand Mayan and San Jose Del Cabo

Northern climates tend to get a little chilly at this time of year, so my friend from Texas and I met up at the airport in San Jose del Cabo. That in itself was not easily done as there are more than one terminal at the airport and as luck would have it, we wound up at different terminals. In Mexico, there are the timeshare sharks that lurk in the interior lobby of the hotel. Once clearing customs and having your bag, it is wise to remember to walk quickly straight through the gauntlet of timeshare sharks to find your transportation. I would strongly advise to have a shuttle meet you and many resorts will provide you with that info. Ours had a free shuttle so that was good.

The Grand Mayan Resort was lovely. While it is surrounded by the San Jose Del Cabo work force putting in water lines, the Bell staff came to be some of our favorites during the week. Vegas and Oscar were delightful, checking us in and seeing to our bags. Check in at the front desk was smooth and then we got turned over to the timeshare sharks.

Do NOT ever agree to sit through a timeshare presentation at this resort. The discount options offered could be found better in town at Magic Tours and the massage places across the street were great. In addition, they state 90 minutes and in reality, we arrived at 8:30 and left just after 11:00 after trying to not so rudely extricate ourselves. Repeated questions about income, martial status and such were designed to make you feel inadequate and that really dampened the holiday mood for a moment or two. Mind you, we didn't do the presentation right away, but you do have to make a decision on the spot.

Our room was gorgeous. We had ocean views, full kitchen and it felt palatial. Some of the touches I enjoyed was the nightly turn down service, daily cleaning, an abundance of towels, and the deck area. The pools were gorgeous and the beach stunning. Things that had us questioning things were the locks on the doors that maintenance took three days to fix and prices being charged at the resort for drinks and food.

I have strayed from my story though...

After checking in and getting settled, we knew that we needed groceries. We had some time so after getting directions, the walking shoes were pointed in the direction of old town San Jose. Wandering the streets, we found a delightful plaza and then some restaurants. Thinking we had seen old town, we turned to the left and walked up to find Walmart. Since it was there and we were, we loaded up with groceries. I did have my wheeled carry-on with me, so that got the flat of water and we lugged the rest. We walked along the highway to try and figure out our way, but since going into Walmart darkness had descended. After looking at a map, we turned to the left, thinking that we were going the right way.

We weren't.

After walking for a bit, I saw two gentleman parking their car and I piped up "Ummm I think we are lost, can you help?" These two men turned out to be American and on vacation with their wives. We must have looked pathetically done in as they offered us a ride to the hotel. I think we must have scared them as they referred to their wives a lot and I wonder if we got them into trouble. For the record, we were very grateful for the ride as we were still a good couple of kilometers away. Being grateful and not wanting to put them out any further, we got out on the side of the road so that they could avoid the construction. That meant we had to cross the street.

The cactus tree took one look at me and stood up tall, fierce and mean. I tried to sneak past it but no...it reached out and the next thing I knew there was blood everywhere. It oozed through my fingers and pooled fast and furious into the earth on the median. My friend was like where are you and I was muttering " I think we have a problem." She managed to haul groceries while I dripped my way to the bell men. They called me a medic and the relationship was born between Cactus Girl (me) Southern charm (my partner in crime) and the fabulous bell men. Turns out that a pin prick into an artery/vein can spew a lot of mess. (Sorry about the clean up men). A bottle of rubbing alcohol, band aids and lots of gauze later and we were good to go.

Tomorrow was a brand new day, with no mistakes in it yet...but that is another story for tomorrow, or as soon as I get around to it!

Hooliganting: Sleep Overs: My Take

Hooliganting: Sleep Overs: My Take: Over the years, I have been a part of several debates on the pros and cons of sleep overs. I have two girls and I am very aware of the ris...

Sleep Overs: My Take

Over the years, I have been a part of several debates on the pros and cons of sleep overs. I have two girls and I am very aware of the risks of having them sleep over at other people's houses. Just this weekend, I have listened to mothers say that they won't let even a babysitter look after their kids because of all the what ifs.

Here are the risks. Your child could be abducted, abused and tortured. They could be bullied, picked on and made fun of. They could be ridiculed and made fun of. They might have older siblings that are going to do nasty things to them. These are the reasons behind mothers refusals to allow their children to go to a babysitter or sleep overs.

First, do you really believe that all people are like this? What happened? And I for one do not want my children to believe that the world is an evil nasty place, even though they do need to be cautious and use good judgement. While I prefer to be the venue for the sleep overs despite the mess and chaos and lack of sleep, I am comfortable with my girls spending time at other houses.

First, you need to understand that this is a relationship. The children initiate friendships. They learn about each other and they grow together. Once they are comfortable with each other, they will start asking for play dates. This is my opportunity as a parent to get to know the other kids. I can invite the mom's for coffee. I can spend time chatting with the parents in the playground. We can do movies or dinners together. In this way, the families start to build a closer bond. For example, today my eldest spent two hours with a girl from school. They were happy and there were no fights, just cooperative play. I drove the lass home and spent a few minutes at the door with the other mom. We talked and I learned more about their family, that she doesn't drive, that the girl isn't a good swimmer but will have lessons, that she likes the YMCA, that they are from Newfoundland and that they have family here. I pay attention to the details. The house was decorated to the hilt. This is a family that likes to celebrate.

Sleep Overs are about bonding. They are about children sharing their space and their thoughts with each other. It is about giving them privacy to grow and develop as people, learning about their highs and lows. This is an environment outside of school that permits them that quality time to learn more about each other, and for me to learn more about the children that are influencing my own.

There is more to it than that though. Over the years, the sleep over kids have become my family. The families have become interconnected and these are people that I can count on if I have a need to have the girls looked after last minute. Like the time that Dad was out of town and one needed to go to Emergency, the other went for a sleep over and it was fine. It was safe. It was familiar. These are the children that are genuinely as much at home here as in their own homes. I love these kids and celebrate their successes and share in their lives in every way possible. They know how to raid the fridge, and where the extra toothpaste is. They also know where the timeout chair is and how to mediate. They know where the phone is to call home as they need to, when they need to.

Do my kids know our home number? Absolutely. Do I ask them questions? Yes. Ultimately, I know that when my girls choose to sleep over somewhere else, they are ready and they are sure of their environment. Just as if a child sleeps over here, I would be totally cool with mom or dad checking in on them at anytime. Even at 3:00 am.

Through this experience my girls are learning to be independent, to make decisions for themselves. They are learning to establish their boundaries and learning to communicate. They are learning to mange their own lives and take care of their own selves. I am teaching them to travel, to build relationships and to be accommodating. They are learning about different households with different rules. Different cultures are present and different family dynamics are in place. It is here that tolerance is taught and self confidence. It is here that they learn to understand the outside world and its environment safely. By the time they are asked to go on a school field trip overnight or travel with a friend, they will be ready. I will trust them and their chaperones.

Sometimes, we shelter our children too much. I know, this is coming from an overprotective mom, but honestly, sometimes there is an advantage to stepping outside your own comfort zone. I want strong, resilient, tolerant kids and this is one way I see to enable their experience.

Hooliganting: The Art of Losing Things: Part 6

Hooliganting: The Art of Losing Things: Part 6: Today was such a peculiar day. Wet and soggy feet plodded their way to school and work, all the while noticing that most other folk were...