It's Hammer Time

At what point does a theory become fact? I have hypothesized for some time that the best days begin on a dive boat and it proved to be correct again. 84 out of 84 times - that must qualify as a fact.

This dive meant getting up at 5:30 to get to the boat by 7:00 and make an hour and a half trip to a dive spot called Gordo Banks. It's known for one thing - hammerheads. And boy did we see them! We dropped down to about 120 feet where it got pretty dark and there was only about 10-15 feet visibility. It was hard to see much there, but there was some movement in the shadows.

But between 80 - 65 feet they came a little closer and were easier to see. There must have been 20 or so swimming around. I can't describe how amazing it was to see my favorite shark!

We also found some 'Chocolate Chip' Starfish, which cannot be eaten with cold milk at 120 feet, as well as some very interestingly shaped jellyfish. It was a great dive.

After we finished off our Nitrox certification we decided to visit a spot at the southern most point of Cabo San Lucas called 'Lover's beach'. (In Spanish it is 'Lowbbers Beech'. Don't forget to roll your R.) It's a unique little spot where you can stand and see both the Sea of Cortez and the Pacific Ocean. There must be a 20 degree difference from one side to the other.

And when the last day of your vacation includes fajitas and a hotel tub full of dive equipment - well, that's the sign of a GREAT vacation!

To Do List

To do list:

Sleep in - check

Sign in at Spa - check

Convince Scott he looks good in a bathrobe - check

Convince Scott he looks good relaxing in the relaxation room - check

Have the massage of your life that sends you into a hypnotic state - check

Eat lunch poolside; Sea Bass tacos to be specific - check

Take a swim in all three hotel pools - check

Watch a movie - check

Go to bed - check

Repeat tomorrow

Killer Lobster

I have to say the last few days have given me pause to reflect on the two years that David spent in Mexico. For one, we ran into four LDS missionaries and could not keep ourselves from buying them all ice cream. I mean one gringo kid from Idaho Falls was constantly wiping a sweat drop that kept reappearing in every location across his head and the three other Mexican Elders just looked so cute! And who doesn't need ice cream?

Secondly, when I mention to people that mi hijo (yeah, I speak Spanish) lived in Guerrero and Morelos I keep getting these shocked looks. One man even got wide-eyed and said, "Wow, that is a very dangerous part of Mexico." Glad I didn't find out til now.

Another perfect day started with a combination of one dive boat and only two divers; Scott and I. Now that is a PERFECT setup.

This time we went into 'The Corridor', dove The Blowhole and another site not on the map called The Children. The children can only be found if Claudio from Argentina is your Dive Master and you can line up the antennas on land and the rock in the water...

At the blowhole we spotted the most giant lobster that lives in this world. Even the dive master got big eyed. That sucker must have been 3 1/2 feet from eyeballs to tail. It was like it grew after a nuclear exposure or something. He was so big, he didn't even have to hide!

I also love the starfish that are abundant down here. They come in all shapes and sizes and cling to everything. The rays love to munch on them.

Two morning dives deserves the Mexican platter at the Baja Cantina; taquitos, calamari, nachos, quesadillas and salsa wings. I am pleased to report that Scott found room for all of it in his empty stomach. (I'll bet Dave didn't eat like this while he was here, although I did find some Negritos at the market....)

So, if the way to start a day is on a dive boat, I'm sure you know the perfect way to end a day... on a dive boat of course - headed to a night dive.

Omelets and Ocean

Want to know the best way to start a perfect day? In my estimation it's room service for breakfast and jumping on a dive boat headed for the Sea of Cortez.

There is a natural rock formation in Cabo San Lucas called El Arco, bet you'll never guess why. It is a beautiful location, the very tip of the Baha in the Sea of Cortez where it meets the Pacific ocean. Guess the seals think it's an okay place to hang out too.

Our Dive Master selected two sites for our morning dives; Pelican Rock and The North Wall. We saw a couple stone/rock fish that are masters of disguise. Can you see them in the photos?

There is a TON of shopping and tourist attractions of course, so after enjoying the beauty of the ocean and its inhabitants, we decided to partake and add to Mr. Cowboy's boot collection by picking up a pair of turtle boots. Obviously they will have to be broken in.

A funny thing happened on the way to the beach...

The FANTASTIC hotel we are staying in in Los Cabos has three beautiful pools and a nice beach, however, swimming in the ocean along this stretch of beach is highly discouraged as the waves are quite fierce. Knowing that my husband sees any sign that says "WARNING" as a personal challenge and wanting to return home with him alive, we got information on a lovely local beach called Chileno. Just outside our hotel you can catch a local bus for $2 and it'll take you to said beach.

The recommendation turned out to be a great one. The beach was very nice and palapas are available to provide a little shade. We did a little snorkeling and saw a variety of sea life; trumpet fish, parrot fish, moorish idols and my personal favorites - a trunk fish.

(This is where the funny part comes in...) After our beach excursion we decided we wanted to go back and continue on the public bus to Cabo San Lucas and touch base with our dive shop. Not knowing for sure where we were suppose to wait for the bus, we politely asked the Mexican police. Our ability to communicate being slightly hindered, they tell us to get in the car. Scott and I climb into the back seat of the police car and the officers proceed to chase down a public bus, turn on their lights and through a broadcast to the bus driver get him to pull over and let a couple of gringo's on the bus.

Since the local economy is 100% tourist based, no one gave us any hand gestures as we entered the bus. I won't argue that we deserved it. Viva tourismo!

We connected with the dive shop which is located in the marina at Cabos San Lucas and got our dives for the week arranged. (Sorry boys, but we decided to certify for Nitrox. You can catch up later.) Dinner at the marina consisted of a large red snapper for Scott and some enchiladas suisse for me. Yum.

Just to finish off a great day - we chose to ride horseback into the sunset on the beach. Scott was right at home.

Buenos Dias!

A little 'south of the border' time was in order so we decided to come check out the scenery above and below the water in Mexico. This trip is just Scott and I, (sorry boys) although Dave's fluent Spanish would have come in handy I am sure.

We are staying at the Marquis Los Cabos Resort, which you would just HATE. It's right on the beach and our room has an ocean view.

In addition to be a perfectly fantastic room...

...they have this incredible feature which I believe should be added to my master bedroom at home. You see there is this special little door....

and when you open it some treats magically appear.

Boys, in addition to your chore list I left for you to take care of while we are away, please add: "add magic door to Mom and Dad's room". Thanks! Can't wait to see it when we get back!

We did invite a couple to come with us on this trip. They opted for something else.

Suckers.