Cabo part 2: rest and relaxation

Since we were flying across the continent, we thought we should probably stay in Cabo for a full week. In fact, at the wedding we won a prize for staying the longest, even longer than the bride and groom who were on their honeymoon.

It was our first time ever staying at an all inclusive. We quickly discovered that staying at a place where everything is provided for you - from meals at five restaurants, a huge pool, a nice stretch of beach, to evening entertainment - means it is about as easy of a vacation as you can get. It is a nice life when you eat your breakfast with this view.

After saying goodbye to some of those who had to leave that morning, on Monday we relaxed at the pool all morning and early afternoon (you will notice that this becomes a trend). In the afternoon we went into Cabo San Lucas for a little adventure. We walked through the marina to Medano beach and rented kayaks to paddle out to the famous arch where the Sea of Cortez and Pacific Ocean converge. It was a long trip - took every minute of the hour we had the kayaks - but it was great to see the late-afternoon sun on Land's End.

Tuesday morning was another strenuous day that included a breakfast of fresh fruit, chilaquiles (which I had for breakfast every morning), omelets, and chocolate croissants followed by some pool time. Maya and Tyson mentioned taking the afternoon shuttle into Cabo San Lucas and hanging out at one of the bars on the beach. They really had to twist my arm on that one. Lelaine and I had not gone clubbing with the young whipper snappers on Friday and Saturday nights, so we thought this was going to be as close to the true Cabo partying experience as we would get. Worried that I wasn't getting enough exercise, I showcased my new-found running skills by entering a race along the beach, that also may have involved tequila, beer, and spinning around a pole ten times Even after a detour into the water, I managed to finish a respectable second. To protect the innocent all video and pictures of the event have been destroyed.

Maya, Tyson, Lelaine, and I woke up early Wednesday morning and drove to Cabo Pulmo, a coral reef 40 miles northeast of San Jose Del Cabo for a little snorkeling excitement. We found a guide who could take us out on a boat immediately and headed for four different sites. The first was on the reef. The water was fairly clear and there were at least twenty types of fish. The second site was a school of jack fish. It took the captain a bit to find them and in that time, the rocking of the boat did a number on Lelaine's motion sickness prone stomach. When we were told that we were going to see a school of fish, I wasn't impressed. But it was a different story when we got into the water. There were thousands of fish. I have never seen anything like it. All one kind, all swimming closely together. After taking a few minutes to take it all in I realized that below the group I was looking at, there was another massive group of fish. Lelaine was worried that where there are thousands of fish, there might be a shark or two, so we got back into the boat. The rocking up and down was not sitting well with her, so the captain took us back to the beach and the rest of the group went to another reef site and then a colony of sea lions. We should have some pictures when we develop the film from the underwater camera.

Thursday morning, which happened to be Thanksgiving, we were sad because Maya and Tyson - who I'm sure have always dreamed of spending their honeymoon with us - left for home in San Francisco. It was our last full day, so we decided to do what we do best: lay by the pool and mosey down to the beach. After a long day in the sun, we treated ourselves to dinner at a nice restaurant in San Jose Del Cabo. Lelaine had chips and guacamole, grilled red snapper, and a chocolate tart. I was adventurous and had qeusadilas stuffed with flowers and goat cheese, scallops in white mole, and a corn cake for dessert.

It was tough to go home on Friday. It had been a wonderful week, and hopefully we will make it back to Cabo one day.

Here's a link to the best photos from Cabo. Enjoy!