Sunday, July 09, 2006

Sunday Scribblings - Hotel in Cabo


When I was forced into retirement at the ripe old age of twenty-nine, I swore I was going to make some great memories with my girls. I cashed in the trusty 401k and decided to take the girls on a trip to remember. The trip was a kid cruise to the Bahamas, swimming with the dolphins, Epcot and Disney World, all in one trip. You would think this would be a dream vacation, but it was a very hard trip for all of us. I was using a walker, the girls were still quite young and they were my only help. My brain kept forgetting I was disabled and so I did not think it through. We had fun times, but it was over shadowed by many stressful moments.

The next year we enlisted my ex sister-in-law to join us for a trip to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. I was going to create a dream vacation even if it killed me. It was much easier doing the airport thing with help and the kids were more relaxed. The hotel looked like any other I had seen, it just had more tropical plants and red tile floors. We entered our very stark, but clean hotel room on the 4th floor and dropped all our bags on the beds. As we stepped out onto the balcony our jaws dropped and our eyes lit up. We had a room over looking a tropical pool with a "swim up bar" and beyond that a spectacular view of the ocean. Everything we wanted to see and do was right there. We shopped til we dropped. We ate great food, heard fabulous music and soaked up the sun at the pool sipping margaritas. Splashing in the surf the girls and their aunt got their hair braided and beaded right on the beach in front of the hotel. They looked like little mini Bo Dereks. I actually ran into a girlfriend with her family on the beach. You could have knocked me over with a feather, I was so shocked. What a small world it can be. My friends rented wave runners on the beach and we all got a ride. How many Mexicans does it take to hurl a disabled chick on a wave runner? The answer is four and they were very gentle. We thanked my friends for the treat of flying across the ocean and joined them for dinner on the beach. That night we learned a new dance craze called "The Macarena." The trip was going perfectly or so I had thought.

The last night I got Montezuma’s revenge and it was not pretty. I could not run to the potty and needed both ends attended to. I slept on the cool hard bathroom tiles that night and struggled getting home. Airplanes and their facilities were not easy access, especially when my walker was in the storage hold under the plane. I thought the kids had sunburned their heads because they kept scratching on the way home. After being home for a few days we started to undo the braids and discovered we had brought home hundreds of little souvenirs, lice. I even had it and I did not even get the dang braids. Never get your hair done by a vendor on a beach! Despite the sickness and bugs, we made great memories. I don’t mind that the best memories were of me puking in the potted plant while waiting for a cab to the airport. The way those men helped me on the wave runner trying not to touch me in the wrong places and me doing the Macarena.

Trying to squeeze a lifetime of memories on a vacation Big Bucks
Traveling with children Big Bucks
Memories made at home naturally Priceless!

To read other scribbles on hotels go here



16 comments:

emmapeelDallas said...

As always, I love when you write about things you've done with your girls. If your vacations were perfect, I wouldn't enjoy the descriptions nearly so much. ;p And what a spirit of adventure you have, going on a wave runner! You are a kindred spirit in so many ways. I'm going to read more, but wanted to write this first.

XO

Judi

claireylove said...

Yes, I love your spririt of adventure too!
And though I would be more than happy to share a margarita or three with you (yum!), I'd have to say you can keep the revenge and lice ;-)

Rachel said...

It sounds like a great time Tammy. Getting sick abroad is really grim. Sounds as though you had some guardian angels with you though

paris parfait said...

Tammy I love how you really LIVE your life and never shy from adventure and new experiences. Beautiful tale of your lovely trip (of course w/ the exception of getting sick and the lice). :) Tara xo

turquoise cro said...

O! Isn't that sweet of those 4 men?? Sweet, sweet, sweet! and on a wave runner! lol This post gave me chills and I wanted to laugh and cry at the same time reading it! I love YOU sweet Tammy! I'm sooo Glad your second trip was better! altho you got sick and you all got a few more passengers coming home! Lol I am blessed too by knowing you!!! love and prayers lil darlin!, xo

Amber said...

Oh, Tammy. I think this sounds like a lovely, wonderful trip! Even with the sickies and the little friends.(eewww...) I would love to have those memories with my mom. And it is the things that are NOT perfect that make it real life. It's still great! You have the best outlook ever. I love it.

:)

trailbee said...

Tammy, thanks for a wondereful story. You have created a memorable example for your girls, which they will pass onto their children. It seems that whenever we do stuff 'in spite of' it always turns out right, even the bumps.

Anonymous said...

I am so impressed with you -- going out and living life for all it is worth. This is a great example for your children. And even the lice and bad stomach, while painful at that time, give us great stories, especially when they are far enough behind that we can laugh at them. Thanks for sharing.

vicci said...

Tammy.....I love the hotel story...did you ever try the lemonade???? I just got back from a trip in the wilderness...check it out on my blog...think you'll like the photos!

Tabor said...

This story and the way you present it says so much about you and who you are and who your children are. The glass is always three-quarters full with you, isn't it? You seem to live the life of three women.

Madeleine said...

'Tammy, the unstopable' dah dah. There really is NOTHING you wouldn't do or try is there?
I love your spirit. (I love sipping coctails in a pool, too).

Some holidays really can be exhausting, though, and how many of need another to get over the first.

tara dawn said...

I think we're in competition here for the best Mexican vacation...haha! I must say sweetie...if we ever travel together, may we please NOT go to Mexico? I'm not sure which is worse...my rat or your lice...but the "Revenge" was horrible for us both. At least it's past...we're laughing now!
Miss you and love you bunches,
TD

Kim said...

There is such an unstoppable spirit of adventure in this story. You are a gem!

Anonymous said...

The memories are absolutely priceless. What beautiful times you shared with your children.
I've suffered the M.revenge before, oh it can be hell.
Loved reading this - the pictures were great.

Colorsonmymind said...

The line about puking into a potted plant made me laugh so hard

Some of that vacation sounds like fun- especially the waverunner and dancing-oh hell the margaritas sound good too:)

But the best part of this post-hit me right in the heart-

memories made right at home- are priceless.

For me being relaxed is so much more important than the view.

Love to you

V said...

Aww, Tammy, you`re a wonder.
Hugs,
V