Day 4 --

Up at around 8:30 and down to breakfast. We decide to go into San Jose del Cabos and this is the best decision of the year. This is “real Mexico” and the town is a quaint and beautiful as it can be. The bus system, while not as exciting to ride as the one in Cancun, is very efficient at $5pesos per ride. They have purchased a bunch of retired USA school buses and they run by your hotel about every 3-5 minutes. The hardest thing about the bus system is figuring out where to catch the bus back to your hotel the first time you ride. After you get that straight you have a wonderful way to get around. I hope this town still has this charm 10-years from now. They managed to ruin Cozumel by putting night club after night club. I guess you do what you have to do in order to survive. If you go to Cabos san Lucas. Please do not fail to take a trip to San Jose del Cabos. It is well worth the trip!

When you get down from the bus it reminds you of Cozumel in 1980. A beautiful town square with a church on one end. The plaza is filled with a flea market and they are decorating a band stand for upcoming celebrations during the Christmas Season. My stomach is still not quite right from the night before. One big problem with pepper is that after it goes in it must come out – OUCH!!!!!!

Heather bought a pottery cat and some necklaces for her friends. I bought 10-Crucifix necklaces for my students to be given out at the end of the school year with my student of the year awards. I hope they realize they are kind of special since I thought about them while in Mexico. Joni and Heather each get one as well – the cross is Tanzanite as is the chain. It is beautifully done. I know better than to think there is any gold on the cross even though that is what we were told. They are beautiful and that is what matters.

Back at the hotel the water is so cold I think I see ice forming at the top of the pool. Heather still manages to get in thanks to the power of youth. She then learns that the outdoor hot tub has lukewarm water in it and she and about 10 of her little friends end up down there for the day. As for me, I chill out (no pun intended) by the pool but my tail end is not getting in that frigid water. I play sport trivia and shock myself by getting 13 out of 15 questions correct. The man who wins gets 14 out of 15. We both miss “what color flag do they put out to tell a driver to pit stop in a race?” Any guesses??? I had no idea. I also miss “Who is the greatest SF 49er QB of all-time?” I put Steve Young and the Mexican answer was Joe Montana. Oh well. The man who won was about 6'6” tall, 275 pounds, and they give him a T-shirt from the mini-club. We all get a big laugh when he offers the shirt to me since it will fit me better (I'm 6'1” and about 230 pounds). He finds a nice little boy and gives him the shirt and everyone is happy.

I go up to check e-mail. They say they have a 28.8 connection but after 30-minutes I give up as my e-mail page never came up. At $8.00/half hour it would take $20 or so to check e-mail here. I'll take care of e-mail when I get home.

Off to dinner at Marco Polo where they are having an Italian evening. At Cancun this is one of our favorite places to eat. There is no Veneto here like Cancun so I'd say Marco Polo would be my second choice. The restaurant is beautiful even though there is not one picture on the wall nor piece of art work in the entire place. Once they decorate this will be one of the more beautiful restaurants in Mexico. They have the complete package here for setting the atmosphere. We order wine and a non-alcoholic daiquiris for Heather. We order dinner the evening is going to be very nice.

When my soup arrives it is lukewarm. I ask the waiter to take it back and warm it and he refuses. I told him I don't like it cold and he tells me it is a cream soup and it is not supposed to be hot. It's seafood based – it's supposed to be hot! Or at least very warm. I told the waiter either heat it or take it away. Now I said that thinking he would reheat it! He took it to a waiter station about 10-feet from our table and set down and looked at me with a very satisfied look on his face. I thought I was in a Seinfeld episode --- “NO SOUP FOR YOU!!!” I was so mad the steam was coming out of my ears again – just like when I ate the pepper the evening before. I never did get soup and the main course was very mediocre.

We get up and walk out of the restaurant and who is walking in but the resort food manager. Very nicely I go to him and ask him to step outside. I pulled him away from the entire area of the restaurant and tell him everything I've put in the trip report about food so far. He is obviously very upset. He apologizes about 25 times. I really think this guy is serious about his apology and I think he wants things to be right.

He gives me an invitation to dine with him the next evening at Rosamarinus. We understand that what he means is that he will be there even though is sounded like we were invited to his table. Broken English and all, we've made enough trips to Mexican resorts that we get along very well with broken English. I also speak a little Spanish so between the two of us we make plans to meet the next evening. I'm impressed with his caring attitude.

Joni and Heather have had enough of this place. Heather says “I wish I was at home right now. At least the food would be good there and I miss my Melody (her cat).” The girls go up to the room and I go to the lobby to hear people sing Karaoke. It ends up being some little girls dominating the microphone, especially one whose mother actually thinks she has talent. I keep my mouth shut, and even applaud politely. WOW!!!! Some of these people must have had wayyyyyyyy too much to drink to get up and sing in public. It's all in fun and they will never see any of the people in the audience again. OF course I shot digital video so I'll be posting streaming video of each act later!!! (JUST KIDDING).

Off to bed. I ate the left overs from Hard Rock. Cold chicken is definitely good when your dinner was not so great. At least the manager sounded concerned.