Cabo!
It all began last Christmas when my husband and I had a delightful dinner out with his two sisters. One sister lives near us in Southern California and the other was visiting from Seattle. The conversation got around to all of us going on a trip together-"wouldn't that be fun?" That started the ball rolling.
The sisters had already discussed a trip to Cabo San Lucas so that would be our destination. Cabo lies at "land's end", at the very tip of Baja California, which is a finger of land extending south from Southern California. One coast of Baja is the Pacific Ocean, while the other is the Gulf of Cortez, one of the richest fishing grounds in the Western Hemisphere. So Cabo it would be, a wonderful destination to break the winter doldrums in Seattle and Southern California.
Since I am the computer "geek" of the family, I took it upon myself to arrange for our accommodations in Cabo, using the Internet. Judy, the Seattle sister, suggested a place named The Bungalows. A friend of hers had stayed there and highly recommended it. So I grabbed a cup of coffee, booted up my computer, and pointed my browser to The Bungalows. Lo and behold, there in black and white with a little finger pointing at it on my computer screen was The Bungalows. The pictures were delightful, and a gourmet breakfast was included with the room. And to top it off, they had a two-bedroom bungalow that would sleep five. Janet, the Southern Californian sister, would bring her significant other.
Many e-mails were exchanged with the manager of The Bungalows, and questions answered in a prompt manner. What a benefit to use e-mail to go back and forth with arrangements in another country!
Airline tickets were purchased with Alaska Airlines. The four Southern California-ites would fly together and meet the Seattle sister in Cabo. Finally, the February date arrived. The trip also coincided with my birthday.
The flight from Los Angeles was a delight, taking about an hour and forty minutes. A snack was provided and it seemed no time at all when we were landing. The four of us gathered up our luggage and headed to a shuttle bus to take us to The Bungalows. Judy would be coming in later that day.
Making our way through the airport terminal was a bit like a salmon swimming upstream. Various "hawkers" wanted us to hire them and on the way we would take a side trip to see a condo, perhaps to purchase a time share. "Thanks, no, we'll just take the shuttle," we told them.
The shuttle bus was quite full and the drive was beautiful. Blue skies greeted us with warm breezes, and there it was-Land's End. The famous arches of Cabo San Lucas stood majestically off shore. Sail boats cruised near the impressive rocky sentinels while an ocean liner anchored offshore. For a minute I thought we were in Hawaii; palm trees and tropical plants made for beautiful entries to impressive hotels dotting the landscape for the twenty mile ride to Cabo San Lucas from the airport. In between these first class hotels are some of the most beautiful golf courses one could imagine. Was this heaven or where was I?
I began to get a bit uneasy about our destination when the driver, checking our hotel destination for the second time, said in a heavy Mexican accent, "Ooh, Thee Boong-ga-lews." He seemed amazed to be taking us there. My palms began to sweat a bit.
One by one, tourists departed the shuttle bus at breath-taking beautiful hotels. Finally, it was just the four of us, heading right smack into the middle of the hectic town of Cabo. Horns honked, cabs darted here and there, and shops lined the main street and those stretching a few blocks from the main street. Everything was visible from street hawkers to first class shops. The marina was filled with boats from teeny sail boats to yachts.
As we made our way through town, the paved street turned to a dusty, bumpy dirt road. I began to get even more anxious about the locale of The Bungalows and hoped the sweat on my brow wasn't showing.
Janet said, "Joyce, what kind of a place did you get for us?" I felt somewhat defensive and said, " Well, Judy recommended it!" If only she was with us right at that moment.
"We will be backing the bus up to Thee Boong-ga-lews," the driver announced as if a warning. Right then, I almost lost it. Why would he have to back up? Was it to spare us the sight of the place? Delay it another few minutes?
Suddenly, as the bus came to a stop, with dust flying everywhere, we finally saw it, The Bungalows. An enormous fuchsia bougainvillea spread its branches in a welcoming bouquet. As we entered the courtyard, it was as though a little slice of heaven had been brought right there. A gentle bubbling fountain soothed my nerves as I gazed across the sparkling blue pool. Giant banana trees and towering palms gently swayed with the tropical breeze. Enormous shady trees embraced winding ivy climbing up the trunk and through the branches and provided a garden respite. Guests lazed around the pool in comfortable lounge chairs.
Suddenly, there was my e-mail friend and manager, Steve. What a wonderful host he was. Our room was delightful with beautiful bright blue Mexican tile in the bath and small kitchen. Comfortable furniture provided a cozy place to read or visit in the living room area and the bedrooms were roomy. The place was delightful. Television and VCR was provided along with a good selection of movies. Bottled water gave us the security necessary to stay healthy.
The week was filled with sightseeing from a rented Volkswagen convertible. Golf, tennis, shopping, eating out and enjoying a trip on a glass-bottom boat to the Arches were highlights of the trip. I almost forgot the unforgettable trip to the glass factory where my husband got to try his hand at glass blowing. Meals were good with a wide range of pricing. One meal I had was ribs and lobsterwith rice, beans, and salad for $10.00. It was delicious.
The trip was one I won't forget, and was a special way to celebrate my birthday. The Bungalows was a real bargain, breaking it down came to $27 per day per person, including breakfast. I would highly recommend this place, it was absolutely delightful.
If you're interested in more information on those lovely Bungalows, here's the web link: http://www.cabobungalows.com/