Day 8 (Sunday)
With our flight not being until 3:30 and not being allowed an extended check-out past 11 am, we lugged our bags down and headed over to the outside restaurant for a light lunch. Prior to that, we left the maids a $7 tip, including $4.50 in random change and 8 cans of Dos Equis. The XX were easily worth another $7! The service was horrendous at the restaurant. It took nearly 20 minutes before our orders were even taken. It wasn't even like it was a busy afternoon, the waiters were just so nonchalant about it all. our food took another 45 minutes to come out and by then we were beginning to get a tad bit worried that we might even miss our flight. I took care of the meal tab but through the insistence of my compadres, I only left them only a 5% tip. Go fix your restaurant service, Playa Grande!
While Jerry was checking out, Tina and I watched these little kids playing around the fountain. The kids were pretty cute, the older of the two sisters, was trying to introduce the younger sister to another little girl that just happened to be sitting by the fountain as well. The cab ride to the airport seemed a lot longer than the time before. This time however, checking out the other resorts and their respective beaches and waterfronts made more sense. Despite the other resorts looking a lot more plush, it was definitely better for us that we were so close to downtown Cabo, versus being way out along the freeway. We never even had an opportunity nor did I really have the desire to check out the other part of Los Cabos, but that would have been a $30 cab ride out there. We passed the dentist/oil change establishment again. Mike and I never did really find out what the double red light signals actually meant. The taxi fare turned out to be $55, thanks to Tina and Jerry for paying for us!
We arrived at the airport at 2 pm and the line to check-in was extremely long, seems like all the departing flights out of cabo leave around the 2:30 to 3:30 window. As we got in line, we ran into Joyce and Wendy again. It's pretty funny how many times we encountered each other during this vacation! As Mike went over to chat with them, I was standing there when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around and saw a young girl with jackie-o sized sunglasses on and a huge smile on her face. I was taken aback for second before she took off her sunglasses and I realized it was my young friend Miren! It was her, her sister, and another taller woman that was probably her mom. She was carrying two backpacks, a pink one and a baby blue one, one of them had a stuffed animal in it too haha, which I am hoping was for her sister. I was so awestruck that I couldn't really get many words out but obviously it was conveyed that she was flying back to mazatlan (still couldn't remember how to pronounce it yet then). I asked her if she still had the watch and she said it was in her backpack. I grabbed out my little notebook and had her write her e-mail address in it. We took a pic together when her sister came by again and she had to go wait in line with her family, so she gave me a hug and a kotc. All I could think of to say was "hasta la vista" hahaa. I stood there sorta red-faced for a while when Jerry said that she keeps looking back. He then said that the whole family was looking over, so I turned my head and to our amusement all 3 of them were waving at me. oh goodness. I waved back.
It took another 15 to 20 minutes to check in, as Mike had to check his bag in. Fortunately the alcohol had all been consumed but he silently hoped that they wouldn't open his bag cause his clothes were stuffed in to the brim. As we got our boarding passes and headed over to the security area to cross into our terminal, I looked over to the other terminal and saw Miren standing outside looking over and waiting. I waved at her and then she waved back happily and then ran through the terminal to join up with her family. simply adorable!
Tina hooked it up by getting us a bottle of water cause sadly Jerry and I were all out of cash. We had about another 20 minutes to sit around before they started boarding. Mike got a carton of duty free cigs heh. The flight attendant doing the boarding calls was mumbling so incohrently into the mic that we had no idea what was going on. On the plane, Joyce ended up sitting behind us with Tina. The flight to Arizona was pretty entertaining, with Mike gorging on the peanuts in a savage manner.
At the Phoenix airport, I watched as a security dog detected an apple from an older couple's luggage cart. The older woman was like "i didn't know you couldn't bring in fruit!". The beagle sniffed it and when her trainer tried to pull the dog away, the beagle sat right down. busted! Mike led us around on a 15 minute lap around before we finally settled on dining at Chili's Too. I had a burger, which for some inexplicable reason never tasted so good! Mike and Joyced liquored up for the next flight with doubles of jack and vodka. Joyce and I exchanged "friendship" items, I gave her my Lion King bookmark and she gave me her brown hair band.
I picked up the bill and we parted ways to our separate flights. On the flight back to Oakland, I must have dozed off with my hand on my sprite cup because for no reason, my hand tipped over and I spilled half a cup of soda all over jerry's shorts and shoes, my bad! Going back through immigration was a breeze. We waited about 20 minutes before the luggage carousel got started up so Mike could get his bag. Tina's dad was waiting outside for us for a return ride back, thanks Mr. Chen!
All in all, a most excellent vacation.
Final root beer barrel count at 27
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Ooooh Hilary.. Wish me home!