Our vacation started with an early morning flight from Spokane to Seattle, during which we were treated to the awesome sight of Mt. St. Helens above the clouds.
Airports and flight time went by without a hitch, and we landed in the warm, sunny land of Cabo San Lucas. Then, it was line after line to collect baggage and take it through screening and then visit a customs officer for the passport stamp. Andy and I were randomly selected for a more thorough baggage screening, but that was easy enough and we soon had our turn at the customs officer's podium. He stamped Andyman's and then opened mine and said "Teresa? Ah!" and proceeded to sing a little Spanish tune with my name in it! I'd say that was a fine way to be welcomed into the country!
Once we were approved to visit, we tugged our bags out of customs and were suddenly swarmed with fellows asking where we were staying, what we were doing for the week, etc. We followed one guy with a resort insignia on his shirt, thinking he'd be the one to help us get to ours! Well...turns out he was just there to sell time share points. Once we figured that out, it was a battle to get away from his persistence and on the hunt for a taxi. The next room you have to pass through is filled with taxi services who also swarm you in the same overwhelming way - everyone saying the other dude is going to rip you off. Finally, we pushed our way outside and found a taxi to take us to some peace and quiet!
The 45 min. drive was...interesting - cruising right along, weaving in and out of traffic and dodging pedestrians. All the while, our driver is on his radio telling jokes or something with his colleagues and occasionally tapping his fingers to the local radio station tunes. The scene outside the windows changed from desert to impoverished village to more desert with abandoned vehicles and little shrines built along the highway for those who've died in wrecks. Then, the resorts started. We passed one after another for a good 20 minutes. Each one with a name implying beauty and relaxation, and each displaying flowering landscapes with water features and palm trees. These man-made oases strange, knowing what we had just passed through.
Travel-weary, we arrived at the Playa Grande for the hassle that is moving into a resort. Lines to wait in, papers to sign, maps to decipher to find our room. The lobby was pretty incredible - a huge brick dome looming overhead. It amazes me that it is possible to create a dome out of masonry!
At long last, we reached our suite and...well, it was amazing too!
The amount of stone and tile alone blew my mind.
As fancy as the interiors were, this quickly became our favorite place to be:
The temperature was perfect on the shaded patio, and we could watch the ocean or the people milling about.
At night, we could hear the music from the bars at the marina and the waves crashing against the beach.
We soon discovered that downtown was well within walking distance, and enjoyed a stroll down for a delicious Mexican dinner our first night.
The next morning, we went walking again to see all the shops and markets downtown. The resort built in a shortcut pathway, that took us through another building that was built right around the rocks...
...down a side staircase where you could see between the buildings...
...and then through a locked gate to the street. It was a fun little obstacle course of sorts!
At the flea market and shops, we were eagerly greeted with phrases that repeated themselves over and over. "One dollar!" (which really means one dollar off the price) and "Almost for free!" Don and Andy have the bartering spirit, and good-naturedly talked the vendors into a deal or two.
Just walking along the streets that day (and also in the resort itself), we noticed that electricity is a tad scary down there! The masons could build circles around anyone here, but wiring? That's another story!
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