A Series of Fortunate Events
The Most Relaxing Week Ever
"You look like Shrek." - Mom
The next day was an eventful morning, packed with forgotten passports, rescheduled flights, damaged luggage, and dead batteries. Miraculously only two hours behind schedule and with no extra money spent out of pocket, we triumphantly arrived at Pueblo Bonito Pacific Beach.
I never imagined my parents as time share owners. They're not the type to throw money out to random salesmen. They buy necessary products at good value. Quality time spent far from the daily grind with close friends and family is necessary. Every room in the resort has an ocean view as it is quietly perched on a cliff overlooking the beach. From the sky pool at the very top of the resort, you can see it's private beach, the wet spa center, the Chapel, all 7 pools, myriads of bars, and 4 upscale restaurants and a multitude of complimentary golf carts buzzing patrons from place to place up and down the palisades.
We unpacked and changed into our vacation suits. "There's been concern about my liver," I tell my parents before heading to the pool "Docs’ say it's swollen and I'm jaundiced. The good news is…I saved a bunch of money on my car insurance by switching to Geico! Oh - and I don't have Hepatitis and they don't see signs of tumors. They’re scheduling a CAT scan on Monday to figure out what's going on." Those words must have sounded like 'Abracadabra' for my mom. She immediately fell under a spell that magically metamorphosed my body: "Look at your stomach! You look like Shrek." Maybe Geico was the magic word; I've personally been told I look like Prince.
Even so, the down news didn't impede on the great times we shared together. Snorkeling, parasailing, horseback riding, gym, spa, food, rest, and relaxation filled our vacation.
We were fortunate on our return from Mexico. Gracias to the poquito Spanish we spoke, but surely from our begging smiles, we were able to:
1. Bump up our flight, free of charge, to avoid a 5 hour lay-over in Mexico.
2. Make it past several swine flu barriers.
3. Set a new record for the 5K with luggage. (Our flight departed in 20 mins and Mexico City's Int'l airport is a precinct).
4. Visually check our luggage as we boarded to ensure it was loaded onto the right plane (this is huge for those of you who have flown an airline that I won’t mention by name, but rhymes with ‘Pero, jets are slow’)
5. Begin our descent into Southern California at dusk on the 4th of July.
I’ve always wondered what that night’s sky looked like. We saw a symphony of synchronized shows from Del Mar up the coast through Orange County. The Long Beach Queen Mary's was the best as we were getting closer to land. It was bright, colorful, and "Oh my God, that one exploded right next to my window!” Screamed an anxious passenger.
Understandably so, cops rarely enforce the neighborhoods in Hawthorne and Inglewood on the fourth. The fireworks staccato stings of familiar sounds. Thus, the illegals (the fireworks) are freed to turn these cities into some of the best light shows in town. The nighttime sky on the 4th of July is an awesome sight, bright with porcelain dye. It’s a pleasant display, just a bit scary over L.A's flight path.
Customs was quicker than expected. Dawn and I bolt past passengers to avoid the growing customs line. Our luggage having been loaded last, ours was the first to hit the carousel. We are mastering the art of airport travel. Landing to shuttle - no missing luggage - 8 minutes: another new record (for international flights!)
Click Here to see pictures of our trip!
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