Family in Los Cabos

Jonathan’s parents and youngest brother were scheduled to land about 11:40am on Saturday. Jonathan and I arrived at about 11:45. Not sure on how much time we had, and realizing we had missed the only parking entrance, Jonathan dropped me off to see if I could find his parents while he circled back to park. We had told them we would meet them at baggage claim, but we had forgot that we couldn’t do that since they would have to go through customs with their luggage. So, I figured meeting them at the exit would suffice. However, I quickly found that there were two exits: one for groups and one for individuals. They should be coming out the individual side, as they didn’t book a group tour or anything, but I was afraid they might get roped in by the persistent locals looking for fresh saps. To prepare for all options, I stationed myself with a view of both exits, the parking area, and the rental cars, so I could watch for them and my husband (to station him at one of the exits when he got the van parked).

To avoid boring you with the details, Jonathan arrived within a few minutes and set up watch. Ten minutes later, Jonathan’s family walked through my exit (the individual one). Then with some hustle and confusion about how we should handle the rental car, we all ended up at the rental car shop, where we found out the price of the car doubled as a result of the insurance. That was frustration at all ends as Cyndi had already purchased an insurance for the car, but apparently it wasn’t sufficient for the car company. Then to pay for it, she needed to use a credit card, but it was declined. They had forgot to alert the card company that they would be Mexico. I offered to pay, but then realized that I didn’t have enough money in my account for the security deposit and our credit cards didn’t have a high enough limit. So, they ended up having to call via cell phone (with international roaming charges) to get the card company to lift the ban. Eventually, we had a car.

By this point, everyone was hungry and tired. Cyndi had a headache. I had planned a nice restaurant to visit for lunch, so we headed there. Upon arrival, we found a sign at the entrance that said the restaurant would not open until 5pm. Another plan thwarted. Defeated, we decided to head straight to the rental. With only a few issues determining where and how to enter the complex to meet with our concierge, we arrived at the rental to meet Hugo. With his clear English and well-informed knowledge of the area and doings in Los Cabos, he quickly dissipated Cyndi’s headache and helped us figure out the rental car situation.

From there, it got better. The unit was well-decorated two-bedroom penthouse with rooftop access. After unloading and getting situated, we decided to try for food again. We ended up at Vagabundos restaurant located within a trailer park, as it was highly rated, located close, and Jonathan and I knew how to get there. Dinner was mostly a success and from there we went to Wal-Mart and stocked up on supplies for the week. Back at the rental, full and with a soak in the hot tub, all were feeling much better.

I will take this chance to elaborate on our accommodations. Dave and Cyndi got the master suite with a luxurious en-suite and balcony access, Jonathan and I got the 2nd bedroom, and James got the pull-out bed in the couch. More than having a bed without enclosures so I can hang my arms and feet off the bed, I was really excited about the bathroom. It was the first clean, pretty bathroom with a fully functional shower and toilet-paper flushing commode (in Mexico you generally put your paper in the trash, not the toilet, as their sewer system can’t handle it) that we had had since before we entered Mexico. It was pretty exciting.