MEXICAN RIVIERA BLOG #3

MEXICAN RIVIERA BLOG #3 12 AUGUST 2012 It was amazing! Thank you so much Grandpa for the once in a lifetime trip that I will never forget! Honestly, I can say that my favorite part of the trip altogether, was being able to spend so much time with family. I live the farthest away from everybody, because most of the family is located in the bay area right now. So, living in the LA area, I hardly see my brothers or my cousins anymore, let alone my Grandpa! Tim and I went snorkeling at Lover's beach, and took a pretty awesome boat tour through the different beaches in Cabo San Lucas. This was also a great highlight to the trip. Can't wait to see everyone again! Hopefully for Christmas! NIKKY I have to admit, I was very nervous about my first cruise. I have a genetic predisposition towards worrying (Hi Mom!!) so I found more than a few worries to mull on in the days before we departed. Ironically, the one thing I just didn’t expect was feeling seasick! It definitely took me a few days to get my sea legs. I felt like my brain was in a fog for the first couple days at sea and I was continually bumping into walls. But, after I adjusted, I found the fun and excitement that Grandpa Bill has been blogging about for all these years!! My favorite part of cruising had to be our nightly dinners. Every night we had dinner together at a beautiful table overlooking the ocean. We were served by some amazing and friendly people who knew us by name and remembered our drink orders and coffee preferences after the first night. We were able to try some interesting new foods (although I tended to stick with the chicken) but my favorite part was the conversation. I don’t know how it is even possible, but after so many backpacking trips and holidays Grandpa Bill still has new and interesting stories to share!! Well, new might not be accurate – many were stories from his childhood and the early years of his adult life – but new to us! I really love being able to get to know my grandfather as an adult. I think that is privilege that not many people get. It’s one that I was not able to have with most of my grandparents. During the trip, one of my cousins dubbed Grandpa Bill “The Most Interesting Man in the World” and it is definitely a title that fits. Not many people would have the patience for a rowdy group of 20-somethings ready to party on a cruise, but he embraces it with open arms. I feel like I learned something new about him and from him every day and that is something that I will treasurer forever. It was so amazing getting to bond with Brad, Tim, Nikky and Danny. I think we are all growing up to be such awesome people with varying interests and talents. We spent a lot of time talking about the impressions we had of each other growing up and it’s interesting to see how we have matured since then. So, in closing, I loved the sunshine, margaritas, dancing, comedians, tours and the beautiful ocean views. But, mostly what I’ll remember is the laughter and the stories. I love this tradition of family vacations and I hope it continues!!! JENNIFER This cruise was so so much fun. Getting to know the wait staff, having everyone on the boat know us, laying in the sun, buckets of beer, touring Mexico, dancing for a week straight, and being with family to share it all could not have been any better. I think if I had to pick just one my favorite part of this cruise would be snorkeling at “lovers beach” in Cabo. The fish, the water, the beach were perfect. I thought it was so cool to be able to swim in the Pacific Ocean on one side of the beach and the Sea of Cortez on the other. Definitely an unforgettable experience. TIM What is it about going on vacation that makes me happy? First of all, I was lucky enough to go on a cruise to México and see a beautiful place with people selling me nik naks left and right. Some people get bothered by the constant seller but I also did buy $200 of stuff for only $40. Second, meeting new people every night and all day was a trip in itself. I barely got off the ship and I noticed I had a new friend request on Facebook from one of the people I met. Lastly but most of all, I love spending more time with my new family. Last year we all went on a trip to Cancun and it was amazing meeting everyone for the first time “officially.” But this time now that we have all the introductions out of the way, I wanted to get to know my family on a more intimate level. Tim, Nikki, and Brad all have a strong connection with each other that is entertaining to watch on its own. However, I was being accepted to join the bond they share when Brad is stoked to go out for the “best night ever” at the club with his cheesy smile and while dancing with lots of women. Jennifer and I also made a good connection this trip even after watching each other puke, although she had to endure my “awesome” smell of vomit a few more times than me. Putting this all together leads me to believe that the destination isn’t what’s important. The journey of how we get there is what counts. Even though family is what I think about most, I’m sure that you want to know about the cruise itself. And all I have to say is WOW. Imagine the best hotel you have ever been too and put that on water. Then on top of that there was entertainment all day and all night and great food for every meal. DANIEL The best parts of the trip were the things that we did as a group. The dinners every night and especially the classy dinners; eating lunch at a jungle river in the mountains near Puerto Vallarta; drinks in Cabo; walking around the boat on the sea days. The best of the best was going out at night and tearing down the club. BRAD For a grandfather to have a week alone with his grandchildren, five of eight, is a precious pleasure with which few have been blessed. I’ve been blessed. It was great fun watching each gain his or her “sea legs” and deal with the mal de mer that usually goes with first cruises. It was wonderful seeing the five bond and get to know cousins in a real sense. I was amazed to listen in on dinner conversations and the sharing of their lives and interests and, in the listening, get to know each a little better. And I was pleased for the opportunity to have a “one on one” with each, something that is next to impossible to achieve at family gatherings at holidays. Our trip was definitely the high point of my year and an experience I hope we can repeat in the future. We all hope that Gram and our three missing cousins Acan join us next time. GRANDPA BILL

MEXICAN RIVIERA bLOG #2

MEXICAN RIVIERA BLOG #2 10 August 2012 Our first day at Cabo San Lucas was for exploration. I hadn’t been to Cabo San Lucas for a dozen years and I was interested in seeing what changes had occurred since my visit. My recollection of “Cabo” was a well developed water front with lots of boats for hire and a scattering of private boats moored in the marina. I recalled the little town adjacent to the marina having unpaved streets and a growing handful of stores to serve the needs of the local residents. I found an expanded marina with many more boats for hire and scads more private boats. The walkways adjacent to the marina were filled with vendors hawking their services and ready to bargain to get a potential customer on board. The little town that I remembered has grown. The streets are now paved and lined with hundreds of shops catering to the tens of thousands of vacationers that visit Cabo each year. I walked about a mile away from the marina on sidewalks that seemed to continue up the hillside as far as I could see. On my walk I didn’t pass a single grocery store or any of the mundane businesses that once occupied the area. Everything was tourist oriented. I found a spot where I once bought some used tires from a local Llanterra (tire shop) that now featured a Jack in the Box store. Brad opted to explore the beaches to the west of the marina. He walked along the beaches that extend, at low tide, almost to the cape. He decided that he would like to come back one day soon to climb the rock formations that form the Cabo. Tim, Nikky, Daniel and Jennifer explored several of the cantinas that lined the marina walkways. All had a great day at Cabo. Some of us signed up for shore excursions on the second day at Cabo. Brad chose a SCUBA tour that promised to teach the use of scuba gear and a parade of tropical fish. On his return he was ecstatic about using scuba gear for the first time and reaching a depth of 45 feet in open water on his first outing. Tim and Nikky signed up for an afternoon of snorkeling. At the last minute the snorkeling trip was cancelled by the ship’s staff. No reason was given for the cancellation. On shore, they found that they could get the same trip to the same location for $20 per person rather than $60 per person. They had a great adventure watching a gazillion mackerel swim by and almost as many colorful tropical fish. Jennifer, Daniel and I opted for a boat tour of the bay in a glass bottomed boat. We poked in among the snorkel people to watch fish through the glass bottom of our boat. We saw mostly mackerel and an occasional flash of color from one of the tropical species that the snorkelers could see much better. Our trip took us out to the Cabo where we could see the two seas meet: the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez. Among the rocks at the cabo is a beautiful rock bridge and a wave carved window through which you could see the Pacific Ocean while sitting in the Sea of Cortez. The sea was a bit bouncy but we managed to enjoy our trip around the bay. As Jennifer, Daniel and I left the dock where we ended our trip, Brad magically appeared and the four of us sought out at local cantina where we could share our adventures of the day. The weather was hot and humid and the ice cold Mexican beer was really welcomed. An overnight sail at maximum speed brought us to Puerto Vallarta, our last day ashore and our cruise turn-around point. I had made reservations on line for a city tour that sounded interesting. The tour was scheduled to begin at 11:00 am local time. The night before we were told on board to set our clocks ahead one hour which we did. What we didn’t know, and weren’t told, was that it was the ship’s time we were coordinating our clocks with not the real time on shore. This was a brand new concept for me. When we arrived a half hour early for our 11:00 booking we were told that the tour had left already. Fortunately the company representative understood such problems and was able to call the in motion tour guide to solve the problem. Our tour group had already completed a tour of the Church of Guadalupe, the oldest still operating church in the area, and were ready to move on with the tour. A decision was made by the tour guide to give the tour group its promised “hour of shopping” early rather than later so that we could catch up with the tour. We loaded into taxis and sped across town to meet the tour with about twenty minutes left of the planned shopping stop. It appeared that the tour group wasn’t aware what had happened and we were pleased to be on our tour. As such tours go, ours was a fun one. We made the obligatory stop at a jewelry store where we were served virgin margueritas and a chance to buy some jewelry at a great discount. Some did. We then were taken on a route pass some marvelous hill/cliff side homes overlooking the Pacific Ocean. We imagined that this must be where the well-off folks of Puerto Vallarta lived. The homes were beautiful and the sea views spectacular. Our route quickly took us into what the guide referred to as an “almost rain forest”. The dense lush vegetation made us wonder why it was “almost” a rain forest. Our guide explained that the area we were in had about forty inches of rain a year while the city we had just left had about twenty inches of rain a year. We left the main road on a narrow winding dirt road that followed a small stream back into the forest. A couple of miles into the forest we came to a small village and our destination, a wonderful thatch roofed open-air restaurant. We were told in advance that the menu would be described to us, which it was. There was a choice of a half dozen entrees, beer and water. We found a table for the six of us and decided that a mixed platter. meant to serve three, looked good. We ordered two platters and beer and bottled water all around. The food was marvelous and enjoyed by all. The fish was especially good but there was chicken, pork and shrimp as well with rice and a green salad. As host of the day I was a bit shocked by the bill of $140 for our jungle lunch but in retrospect it was worth every penny. Our return trip provided a fun stop at a tequila factory where we were going to be shown how tequila is made. After a brief look around at the stock of tequila for sale, we were seated in a semicircle around our host who told us all we needed to know about tequila. First, we were told to shake a bottle of tequila before buying it. If foam shows at the top of the bottle we shouldn’t buy. Second, we were taught to inhale and blow out twice before taking a shot of tequila….all at once….followed by another inhale and exhale. With this instruction, we were each given a shot of tequila. Inhale/exhale, inhale/exhale, down she goes. We started off with the strong stuff and I found it burned a bit on the way down. Following the first serving we were poured a second and a third and a fourth and then we stopped counting. Some of us stopped drinking. The middle aged lady next to me took five straight shots and began an attempt to take over the instructional job from our host. A whole bunch of tequila was sold. It’s my guess that few from our ship were aware that they couldn’t take the bottles on board. The bottles would be confiscated at the gate and returned just before the end of the cruise. They never did show us the factory or how tequila is made. Who cares? There was a lot of animated talking during our bus ride back to the ship. And some took a nap. All in all our potential missed tour turned out pretty good. The last two days of our cruise will be ‘at sea’. Our cruise group has learned how to find the fun spots on the ship and how to make the most of the late evening entertainment. I don’t imagine that much of what’s going on will be missed. Friday night will feature another “Elegant” dining opportunity so we’ll all put on something special and look forward to something extra special on the evening’s menu. Life is great! Our love to all, Grandpa Bill, Brad, Jennifer, Daniel, Tim and Nikky

MEXICAN RIVIERA BLOG #1

MEXICAN RIVIERA CRUISE BLOG #1 7 August 2012 The first day of our adventure went like clockwork. Daniel and Tim spent the night at our house and we had no difficulty in leaving at 5:00 am as planned. We picked up Brad as scheduled and dropped the truck off at the Westin Hotel parking lot and arrived at the airport at 7:15, ahead of schedule. Jennifer met us there and we walked through a deserted airport to our assigned gate feeling that there must be something happening we hadn’t heard about because of the absence of the usual airport crowds. We met Nikky at the Long Beach airport on schedule and found the Carnival shuttle bus waiting for us with open arms. When we arrived at the cruise terminal we once again were surprised by the absence of travelers. We walked through the registration process without a moment of waiting in line and walked onto the Carnival Splendor, our home away from home for the next seven days. We arrived on board before noon and the signs posted let us know that our cabins wouldn’t be ready until 2:00 pm. We headed for the buffet on the 9th floor and a lunch that all of us needed, or at least we thought we did. After lunch and a little ship exploring, we headed for our staterooms. Unlike the rooms that I had selected in April, our rooms were at the very front of the ship. I had requested “Ocean View” cabins amidship, usually the most comfortable for first time cruisers. The side by side rooms turned out to be just fine and we unpacked a few hours later when our bags were delivered to our cabins. The Carnival Splendor is one of Carnival’s thirty cruise ships. I would call it a medium sized ship, as ships go today, with a passenger capacity in excess of 3000. Unlike other cruise lines I’ve used, Carnival does not provide passengers with the specifics of a ship tonnage, capacity, etc. The only information I could get on board, short of using the internet at fifty cents a minute, was by word of mouth. The ship was built in Italy and put into service in 2008. Its Captain was from Italy. The crew was from all parts of the globe each wearing a name pin that displayed a name that was impossible to pronounce and the country each called home. As I knew in advance, Carnival is a “low-end” cruise line that caters to families and folks looking for a less expensive cruise. Facilities for the under twelve set are really great. The offerings for adults are limited but offerings for children seem endless. The daily program offered dance lessons once a day, drink mixing demonstrations, Bingo and not much more. There was no Bridge Lesson/Game which seems ever present on most cruise ships. I asked the Captain, at the usual Captain’s welcome (sans booze, if you can believe it) about the absence of a Bridge Game and he seemed not to understand what I was talking about. He asked a Senior Officer next to him what Bridge is (in Italian) and the officer nodded in the negative. I told the Captain I hadn’t found the Card Room and he knew what that was and asked the underling where the card room was located. Another nod indicated that the ship doesn’t have a Card Room. What the ship did have was a huge casino and lots of handy watering holes. The ship’s theater, “Spectacular” reflected its name. It appeared to have seating for 1,500 or more with only a handful of seats behind poles. Our first day “at sea” was relaxing. I did my usual hour walk on the 12th floor outdoor track followed by a half hour in the ship’s well equipped gym. Our group generally skipped breakfast or rather had breakfast when most folks were eating lunch. The night time activities on board are endless for the twentys/fortys set and I’m told we took full advantage of all that was offered. Our second night’s meal was “Elegant” night (a Carnival term) and we dressed up and looked very special. On the previous evening I had informed all that one of the great things about cruise dining is that one can order extra of something one likes. On our Elegant Night menu we found special things like a crocodile appetizer and a lobster entrée. When I ordered a double portion of lobster, those at our table knew in their hearts that Grandpa Bill was about to be shown as telling stories for their entertainment. When my double order of lobster arrived there was an immediate placement of additional orders. Brad ordered a total of three orders of lobster. Cruising can be fun!! Today will be the first of our two days at Cabo San Lucas. Our plan is to go ashore about noon and see what we can see by walking around. The ship is too large to use the pier here so going ashore requires using the “tenders” (life boats). We arrived here at 9:00 am and all with shore excursions will be tendered ashore first with those, like us, without excursions to follow. Thus, our noon departure. The last return tender will leave the dock at 5:00 pm and all will spend the night on board. Tomorrow some of us have shore excursion tickets but today we will be on our own. Love to all from…………… Grandpa Bill, Brad, Jennifer, Daniel, Tim and Nikky