Honeymoon Bliss

We woke up early, less than six hours after we had laid down to sleep, and quickly got ready to leave. It was not until we let our dogs out that we noticed four wet inches of snow stuck to the ground and it was still coming down. I checked our flight reservations and everything was on time so we dashed out the door.

Snow did not slow us down, but Monday morning rush hour slowed our pace. Checking in was easy and quick. Short lines and happy people moved us to our gate without a hitch. I called my dad, as I knew he was flying back to Denver that morning to fill him in on the weather and say "goodbye" one last time.

We boarded on time and our plane left the ground not a minute late. We left 32 degrees and snow and landed less than three hours later in Los Cabos to humid 90 degree heat. It was beautiful!

Customs in Cabo was slow. Everyone wore blue masks over their faces to protect them from the foreigners. We left the US days after the Swine Flu was taking over every media outlet. Fear was not apart of our vocabulary as we touched the dry desert land that Americans were openly cursing back home.

Our bus ride to our resort was long, due to the multiple stops along the way. We checked into our hotel situated right on the beach, a quick walk from the marina, a thirty minute kayak ride to the arch, and eight seconds from the water. Beautiful does not even begin to describe how incredible this place was and happy does not even come close to how we felt. Therefore, speechless is what we were as we stepped into our room: dark blue doors, colorful bedding, baby blue trimmings, a round glass table and a quaint kitchenette to cook at. The view from our fourth floor bungalow took our breath away.

We were starving, as breakfast was the last thing we had eaten almost nine hours ago, and made our way to Cilantro's, one of two hotel restaurants that overlooks the water. Margaritas and chicken quesadillas eased our hunger pains. There were several hours of sun left, so we changed into our beachwear and spent the rest of the day's rays on the beach.

Each day after our first, we ate breakfast, lathered up, gathered several bottles of water, granola bars, our books, music, and some cash. Most days we were out to the beach or the pool early enough to get a great spot.

A few highlights:

On Tuesday we went grocery shopping at a store similar to Sam's Club. We budgeted $100 for the week and came in at $96. We bought two bottles of tequila for $6 each and got a sack of six avocados for $2!! I wish my two favorite things were that cheap in the US!!

Wednesday, we played poker with some folks by the pool for free drinks. I beat out B, the poker shark, and ended up heads up with the lady next to me. Blindes were so high I had to go all in at the end with a terrible hand and was swept out.

Thursday, we rented a sea kayak and some snorkel gear. We took the kayak over to the arch and Lover's Beach. On our way over, we came upon a sea lion who was playing with a fish, throwing the limp meal into the air and chasing it back into the water. It was the most surreal moment we had all week and by far, our favorite. Once the sea lion disappeared, we continued to kayak over to the arch. The water was a lot rougher, as it kissed the Pacific Ocean. A group of sea lions barked at us as we approached the beautiful arch. The beach was not as "loving" as one would suspect, but very special nonetheless. It was a walk way from the Sea of Cortez to the Pacific Ocean and we were able to enjoy the much bigger, much stronger crashing waves that B had enjoyed a few days prior. (no one is allowed to get in the ocean as the rip current is too strong. B was pulled out by none other than Jesus. I only wish I was kidding...)

Friday was another beach day that ended with both of us acquiring painful jellyfish stings. These jellies are little, but pack a powerful punch and we both steered clear of the water for the next day (and paid closer attention to the flags that were posted, warning of the jellies' presence).

Saturday and Sunday were days that just got us that much closer to the end of our trip. I packed on Sunday night and we enjoyed another great meal at our hotel.

Customs coming back to the states was not as bad as we were anticipating, as the Swine Flu hype had doubled in the week that we had been gone. We had our body temps taken and filled out a form stating we were healthy. The flight was bumpy and stressful, unlike the flight to Cabo. We were very ready to be home. Patty picked us up and took us out to dinner.

This vacation was our best so far. It was our honeymoon and while it was nearly nine months after our wedding day, we would not have wanted it any other way, despite the flu scare.

Today, I unpacked, did laundry, picked up the house, and am getting ready to go to a midweek wedding.

You can find our pictures here:

www.photobucket.com/mcfadden