Belle
Paul Joined: July 9th 2005
Logged in: October 10th 2006
Logged in: October 10th 2006
I have actually just added this trip on to a blog I did last summer as I already had an account activated here and I know it is a fabulous site.
These entries are in reverse order but I actually wrote them in chronological order - if you go earliest to latest you get last summers trip first. Sorry for the confusion. If you just scroll down to Aug. 26 and then read up the story will make more sense.
Travel Blog Posts
Praise the Lord
Sunday morning came bright and hot as if nothing had ever happened. These flowers bloomed in their magnificence as if to say Praise the Lord just as soon as the sun shone again. Everything was life as normal and the airport reopend. The holiday had been fantastic but we were happy to be going home once again. A brief stopover in LA made everyone want to take our next trip back to see more of that city and probably some baseball. ... read more
Tidal Bore
This was Vince's 16th birthday and unfortunately very little we could do as there was still rain and clouds throughout the day. The hotel was busy mopping up anywhere water came in and repairing any bits of damage. However, we were all very thankful that nothing serious happened and made the best of it. By the end of the day we became quite silly and to Vince's chagrin I am adding in a picture of our silliness. A poor translation of the hotel rules suggested in English that it was illegal to iron in the room - being 16 now Vince decided to be show his rebellious streak. ... read more
In the safe shelter
This is the day that the clouds and rain finally rolled in. The english international version of CNN was the only reports we had. Other than the constant tourist gossip in the lobby. There was internet access but as you can imagine the line ups to the computers were extensive. Just being in that little room with other worried tourists could get you wonder about your sanity in this place. The staff were all exceptional and tried to keep people informed as needed. However Hurricanes as any weather are not always perfectly predictable. The hotel tried to give us a time frame of John making landfall and suggested that we all be in a safe shelter during that time. John however slowed considerably and they kept pushing this time back until finally it was realized that ... read more
Dolphin kissing Troy
This was the first day that the Hurricane became a definite threat and activities needed to be cancelled. Checking for possilbe early flights home was fruitless. Basically this was our last day which they could insure our safety outside of the hotel. Much of Cabo was preparing their homes and workplaces for the hurricane. The Mexican people are truly prepared for these emergencies and were efficiently creating safe zones for everyone, if the hurricane finally arrived. Weather forecasts gave us a variety of times when John would arrive but the earliest was later tonight or tomorrow morning. The only activity still available to us was swimming with the Dolphins. It was great to still get this chance to experience this but everyone there was glad for the distraction. ... read more
Our two Kayaking anchors
One activity we all agreed on was Kayaking and Ramon's Eco Tours came highly recommended. We all second that vote of confidence. He took us and another family from Cabo San Lucas beach to Pelican rock to snorkel through some great coral beds and schools of fish. Getting us in and out of the kayaks to accomplish that was no small feat but worth the experience. Kayaking to the arch was a totally different experience than seeing it from a large tour ship. We then got to spend some time at Lover's beach which is the small beach beside the arch which opens to the sea of Cortez on one side and the Pacific Ocean on the other. Fortunately we had started early as by the time we were ready to leave all the tourists were ... read more
Learning to ride the Jet ski
Kurtis and Vince took a Jet Ski tour our in the Sea of Cortez today. Although they look serious in these pictures- they had a great time. There was only one jet ski left to book so Kelvin watched longingly from the shore. He had the promise of parasailing and a canyon tour by zipline on the weekend to look forward to (not yet aware that Hurricane John would cancel all of those plans). Troy and I satisfied ourselves with the thrill of water toboggans back at the hotel. Just enough danger for me! ... read more
Getting Braver
The beach next to our hotel was beautiful but not the safest ocean to swim in due to the large waves and strong riptimes We were not able to truly dive in and swim but got a little bit too daring playing on the beach. We definitely went in further than we should have but paid the price only in drifts of sand filling every orifice of our body. Sitting by the pool was far more relaxing. This was also the day we listened to the wonderful merits of owning at the Royal Solaris. Might be lovely if it were about 6 hours closer to home. Alas we said no. ... read more
Aboard the Caborey boat in Cabo
Due to the main pool being closed there were some extra perks added on to our holiday. They sent all of the guests on a cruise of Cabo San Lucas harbor to view the famous arch which is the southernmost point of land in North America. The waters of the Pacific ocean meet the Sea of Cortez. The also took us snorkeling to another quieter beach in the area. A fabulous day spent on the water enjoying Mexican warm hospitality, delicious food, incredible sights and amazing sunshine. ... read more
Lobby of the Royal Solaris
Sunday greeted us with a quick flight to San Jose de Cabo Airport and arrival at our Royal Solaris home away from home. The people here treat you royally - an All inclusive resort is the only way to go when vacationing with 3 boys (2 teenagers). San Jose de Cabo is about 30 miles NE from the more popular tourist destination of Cabo San Lucas. Our hotel is San Jose -a much quieter and family friendly area. It is on the Eastern side of the Baja Peninsula. The main pool was unfortunately undergoing maintenance so we were confined to one of the smaller pools. Hardly what you would call a hardship. ... read more
Los Angeles
For those of you following our adventures with Hurricane John, I have added in some pictures and video. As you will see the folks in Mexico were well prepared for the Hurricane and cared for their tourists extremely well. We were in no danger and in fact had enjoyed such an outstanding holiday prior to the Hurricane that the forced rest time in the hotel was quite enjoyable. Aug. 25 started with a flight to LA before continuing on to Cabo San Lucas the next day. Unfortunately, my luggage was so enamored by LAX that it took an extra day there kanoodling with all of the other foreign baggage. It chose to catch up with us in Cabo a couple of days later. The rest of the family had properly trained their bags to return to ... read more
