Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Speaking of Cabos - Last Minute Getaway


Hey - I just got a note from a fellow traveler about her condo that she's renting out in September. It's at the fabulous Sol Melia ME Cabo resort located right on Nikki Beach with a ton of onsite activities, just minutes from downtown and nightlife. The rental dates are Sept 6 through Sept 13. 7 days, sun and great resort....all for only $500!!!

For more information, contact Kim directly via her craigslist listing.

Sunday, August 3, 2008

Finally! Cabos Recap...

Finally a run down on the Divas adventure in Los Cabos and to say that we had a blast in Mexico would be the understatement of the year! For those that weren’t there you will feel the Mexican air blow through your hair and be able to see the palm trees...

Once we touchdown in Mexico, the hundred degree weather hits us like a sauna as we walk down the plane steps and straight to customs before retrieving our bags after the long flight. Getting into the country is complicated mainly because of all the forms you have to fill out. They ask for everything but your precious fingerprints.

One thing about Mexico I must tell you is it is all about the hustle. So after getting through customs and grabbing our luggage, we were escorted into a big space before we were even allowed to go outside, where they jump on you like a cowboy jumps on a horse! Even though we already had ground transportation to the resort and have told the “transportation reps” this several times, they are extremely aggressive in asking what hotel you going to (I guess everyone has to have a hustle). The trick is to just walk away and then go outside where there is an even bigger crowd of reps…..and you are supposed to trust that they will drive you safely to your destination. Off we go!

Ahhh….The Intercontinental Presidente. We are promptly greeted and because of our fabulous “Diva” skills we were all upgraded to ocean view rooms and got VIP wristbands…..now, don’t ask me what that means because even the lady at the front desk could not explain the difference in the arm bands she just said it was better than the others ;)

As we stepped into our room it is what you imagined a Mexican paradise would be and stepping on the balcony just confirmed it! Our room overlooked the crystal clear pools, gorgeous palm trees and ocean. What more could a girl want! Alright so enough of the scenery – everyone’s checked in and settled, so we head to the poolside bar – if you see Jorge, give him a shout out for us!

Day Two:
Now that we were all rested, the group met at the breakfast buffet to decide our activities for the trip. We knew we wanted to go ATV riding and on the glass bottom boat so we stopped by the concierge desk for reservations, only for our youngest Diva to get bamboozled into sitting through a time share presentation with the promise of getting all of our excursions at a deep discount. (For the timeshare presentation, you had to be single and K was the only one to fit the bill….she has vowed to get married soon so that won’t happen again ;). But FREE party cruise tickets in downtown Cabo and crazy cheap ATV and horseback riding….we couldn’t turn it down! Poolside chilling, horseback riding and an adventure to a downtown San Jose martini bar, Day 2 was complete.


Day Three:
We awaken at the crack of dawn to go on our ATV sand dune adventure….although not all of us participated because a few didn’t want to get dirty (such divas). Actually getting to the sand was an adventure in itself because we had to ride the ATV’s in the road alongside regular car traffic! Then with a few of us driving on the wrong side of the road and V’s bike kept breaking down, the adventure started long before we even got to the dunes. Our tour guide, Manny, was great! We went though very narrow paths and got bumped by trees along the way but he was awesome in keeping us focused and excited. Some of us even got bold enough to try “wheelies” on the beach :) On our way back, again we are riding in the street with regular traffic but it is the “rush hour” with even more cars on the road….definitely a risk for amateur diva drivers. So risky in fact, that the cops pulled our whole brigade over and forced us to wait for the heavy traffic to go past before we could proceed. I swear we saw our lives flash and questioned our sanity for even signing up on the tour, however, we all agreed it was a blast!

Our last night and we head to downtown Cabo for shopping and the party boat ride. Shopping was interesting because you would think things would be cheaper in Mexico but like I said everyone needs a hustle and that is exactly what all those shop owners were doing, hustling. If you like tequila, downtown is definitely the place – they give out free samples in “tequila boutiques” across town…so needless to say, we were partying before we even hit the boat :)

Once we arrived on the glass bottom party boat and were rolling, life was perfect. The boat crew served fabulous margaritas and homemade guacamole, chips, salsa, and peanuts (not sure how peanuts fit into the menu, but maybe that’s how they do it in Mexico). We had adopted a Mississippi fan who looked like the detective dude on Law & Order: Criminal Intent. Mississippi was very nice until he kept talking and drinking, which led to more talking and eventually a rum and Coke spill all over one of the Divas. Not only did the rum and Coke make him talk (slur) nonstop, but it turned him into a dancing machine and boy you should have seen this southern boy go! Everything was perfect until we hit a sour note when our 3 hour party turned into a 4 hour buzz kill - the tide kept taking us further and further away from shore and the crew had a tough time bringing us back. Cold, hungry and a few margaritas too many, we were excited to finally see land!



Takeoff:
Leaving the resort is bittersweet because we needed to say goodbye to our mini paradise and mostly, our girlfriends. Sleepy, tired with super early flights, our “paradise” is abruptly halted when our flights are either cancelled or delayed. Cabos airport is the only airport I know that doesn’t have air conditioning, limited food service and NO amenities. It was a hundred degrees, at least, and with our flights continuously delaying, many of us debated the idea of staying in Mexico another night. Finally, we are called to board! Guess who we see boarding our flight…. Mississippi from the party boat! He apparently was so wasted after the party boat ride that he slept on the street in downtown.

After countless hours of travel, delays, and time zone adjustments, we all finally landed…some of us as late as 2am. Despite the soreness from the horseback riding, Mississippi’s spilled drinks and airport drama, we all agreed the getaway was fabulous! Who knows where 2009 will lead the Divas….perhaps coming soon to a state or country near you!
For more photos from Living La Diva Loca 2008 - Cabos, click here: