the first sign of really being on vacation…..sleeping in. i get up early, usually at 5:30 AM, but today wake up time was 10 AM, oh the sheer luxury of it all.

the rest of the morning went a lot like yesterday: up, gym, breakfast, and pool. but i did go to a different pool and i went to the beach.  at the pool i ran into a couple of ladies i met yesterday.  sisters, here for their birthdays (3 days apart), from South Carolina.  we got to chatting, and they mentioned the were going to the rain forest, and asked if i wanted to go with…so nice if them!

the El Yunque rain forest was really pretty.  we stopped at Coca Falls, a viewing tower and then and another falls that you could wade to and stand under.  it was about a 35 minute walk each way,  a narrow but paved path and slightly steep and slippery at parts.  in my opinion, completely worth the time, but i’m really glad i didn’t pay to take the tour, it was expensive and i didn’t need a longer hike with a lot of people.

arrived in Toronto late Friday night, and came home at 10 AM on Monday morning.  i was there for a conference, but managed to get in one major activity.

the extracurricular activity was the Toronto Zoo, where they not only have baby Giant Pandas, but also baby white lion cubs, baby polar bears and a baby rhino.  sadly we weren’t able to see the lion cubs or rhino, but we did see the pandas and polar bear.  SO adorable.  need i say more?

some good meals were had including dinners at Little India and the Keg Steakhouse and dessert at the Milk Bar.  yum.  i may have to order some of those cookies online, they were delicious. and they had a crack pie.  i didn’t try that, but maybe next time.

one thing to note about flying out of Toronto (maybe all of Canada?) is the whole customs/luggage process.  it wasn’t very user friendly.   unlike SFO, you can’t check your luggage at the airline counter to go international.  you need to tag your luggage at the counter, then take your luggage through customs, then send it through screening, and then it goes on the conveyor belt to the plane. it’s not like the process is terrible, or that odd, but there are no signs telling you what to do. it’s a little frustrating.

the customs agents are less than pleasant as well.  i know they have to be serious, but come on now, i just want to leave your country, stop with all of the questions.  maybe they’re being extra nasty so that we don’t all want to flee there after the November election.

one good thing about the whole set-up…….no customs clearance in SF. deplane, grab luggage, and go. done.

i met up with the other folks at 9:30 AM (such a reasonable time) and we made our way to the marina. we headed out on a glass bottom boat to the arches, where we saw some fish and a couple of seals.  next on the agenda was a glass blowing shop.  we then had time to walk around town, which is pretty busy and very touristy.  still fun to see.

from there we went off to visit San Jose del Cabo, the quieter, smaller town about 30 minutes from San Lucas.

lunch, mariachi band, church of San Jose del Cabo, walk around town, shopping and then home.  everything a boat and city tour promises to be.

Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach Resort is my home for the next few days, and it’s quite the place.  it reminds me a little of El Cid in Mazatlan, but this place is giant, with golf carts to shuttle you around.  the carts run on system similar to BART with a blue, green and red line.  we are on the blue line.

i suppose it is the same as many time share resorts, rooms of all shapes and sizes including villas with their own pools.  lots of pools, restaurants, bars and of course time share presentations.  unlike Mazatlan i will not be partaking in any presentations, just say no. Nancy Reagan would be proud of me.

today consisted of breakfast, going to the main building to check out the shops and get the lay of the land, shuttling to the skydeck pool and lunch.  then shuttling back to our building, a walk to the million dollar store (the resort market), napping at the pool by our room, a shower  and now off to drinks & dinner, it’s a rough life.

tomorrow i’m off to meet a friend of mine that lives here and hopefully get a glimpse of real life in this area.

Mazatlan in spring, Cabo in winter, i think i’m practicing to be retired. at this moment i am waiting on the Santa Rosa Airport tarmac to take off for LA, from there i will head to Cabo.

i love my little airport, it’s the Sonoma County Charles M. Schultz Airport, and you’re greeted by snoopy (statue) along with other peanuts characters.  It doesn’t make up for all the people coughing and sneezing on this flight, but at least everything started off with a smile.

this is the second family vacation of 2015, the first was Disneyland in October. hopefully this trip will be a little crowded and a bit cooler.  it was 102 during my stay at the happiest place on earth….happy but hot.

i haven’t been to Cabo before, i’m excited.  it’s cold and wet here, so the thought of being warm, at a beach, with a drink in my hand sounds pretty good.

no matter how long i’m on vacation i still tend to wake up early.  i don’t always get out of bed right away, but i at least grab a cup of coffee.

today was just like any other, up early, coffee had, and it’s already hot out….what to do?  why not go to another presentation, have breakfast and earn 1200 pesos?  so that’s what i did.

i caught the shuttle and headed to the El Cid Morro property. breakfast was delicious, and today it involved some mimosas, added bonus.  the Morrow is much bigger and more centrally located so a bit more bustling.  they have a Senor Frogs on site, if that helps paint a picture.  it was a nice looking property, and although seemingly fancier, the rates are lower than at my place.  perhaps i’m paying for the quiet.

the pitch was very similar to yesterday, and i tell you, if i had the money i might have gone for the lower priced deal.  but i have all my vacations planned out for the year and i want new kitchen cabinets. but, should i win the lottery between now and next May who knows.

i thought about going to downtown, but then decided to go back to my place, sit at the beach and nap. “uno Modelo por favor”.

tomorrow is my last day here and i’m going to get out and about and see some sites.  i arranged a private tour and the car will get me at 9:30 AM.  i’m not exactly sure where i’m going besides Copala, i asked to be taken to as many places as we could fit in. if you’ve read some of my previous tour posts you know how i roll…..a little bit of time at a lot of places with good photo opportunities.  mission accomplished.

as for now, i think i will fix myself a cocktail and watch the boats come into the marina.  not a bad way to end the day.

i held up my end of the bargin and went to the timeshare presentation this morning……you have to love the tenacity of sales people.

the breakfast was delicious and the sales person was very nice, but it cracked me up how many times he tried to convince me that this wasn’t like a regular time share……sorry to disappoint you my friend, call it what you want, it’s a time share.

so 90 minutes later with my wallet still in tact i left, collected my voucher for the city tour and my paid taxi for the ride to the airport.  of course, they would really like me to go to a pitch at another resort tomorrow AM, and in return i will receive another breakfast and 1200 pesos.

hmmmm, 1200 pesos, might be worth it,  plus, what else would i be doing at 8:30 in the morning?  i guess i will just have to see how i feel when i get up tomorrow.