Its a rough life, but someone has to live it. Our view from Villa Gran Vista, Pedregal, Cabo San Lucas, Baja, Mexico.
©Robert Kochman

Boris and Fred with their striped marlin. Cabo San Lucas marina, Mexico.
©Jean Janssen

Day 4 in Cabo San Lucas and Boris is up early to go deep sea fishing with Fred.  Another day of lounging and whale watching for the rest of us.  We got a text from Fred a couple hours in that Boris is horribly sea sick and that they are “enjoying” ten-foot seas.  They were rewarded for their efforts with a striped marlin.  We got “the call” and Marne, Margaret, Jim, and I went down to see them come in.  Normally, Boris is catch and release and that is the policy of Fishing International, the outfitters he has used for years in many locations.  However, the fish was injured by the crew on the pull in and so they brought it in and we were able to get a photo.

As the fishing boats came in, sea lions hitched a ride on the back and enjoyed being fed by the crew.
Cabo San Lucas marina, Mexico.
©Jean Janssen

One of the coolest things was seeing the sea lion ride in on the back of the boats as he was feed by the crew.

Tonight is our second (of two) dinners out so it is time for some more lounging before getting ready for the group’s favorite restaurant, Edith’s (owned by the same Edith Jimenez who owns The Office).

Our trip leader, Margaret Henrikson, could be the brochure girl for the Villa Gran Vista, our retreat in
Pedregal, Cabo San Lucas, Baja, Mexico
©Jean Janssen

We did some serious lounging in the morning and early afternoon.  After a full day of spa treatments, shopping and “office”time yesterday, we just hung out at our gorgeous house.

Dinner at the house starts with a blessing and last night we closed with a (new to me) dice game called Left/Right/Center.  Each of us put in three dollars and I was one person away from all the money.  Beginner’s Luck for sure; the game requires absolutely no skill.  One of the best parts of this annual trip is the opportunity to catch up with our friends.  Sure, we don’t always have the deepest discussions and I am not sure if I can repeat any of the jokes told on these trips, but the downtime with friends is not to be discounted.  Our families have all changed in the ten years since we started traveling together.  The last of kids (with the notable exception of my godson) graduates from high school this year.  As our children have gotten older, our trips have gotten longer.

Janie prefers the lounge chair to the wall.
©Jean Janssen

…Marne, the hot tub.
©Jean Janssen

So at some point we actually have to go inside and get ready for the evening out.  Travel is a little challenging with 12 people in the group.  Fortunately a Cabo taxi seats 11.  Which means at some point everyone (except Boris who claims the front seat each time due to his injury) has to do the half on/half off cheek for part of the trip.

We all get a little more dressed up for this evening, although it is not necessary. Part of me would rather just stay in my swimsuit and eat Fortunato’s guacamole until I am full.

We reserve the wine room and when we arrive for our reservations it is still occupied.  We take up most of the seats at the bar with our group.  Edith’s is a beautiful setting.  At night, you go through the front door and it creates the illusion that you are inside a building, when really you are outside the whole time.  You sit under large palapas or a canopy of greenery and only when you venture to look up and see stars do you realize that you are outside.

The bar at Edith’s in Cabo San Lucas, Baja, Mexico.
©Jean Janssen

The wine room is actually wine storage area and is covered and enclosed, but with two glass walls for a view of almost the entire restaurant.  Edith’s is not cheap, but it is the group’s Cabo favorite.  They do a killer caesar salad, prepared table-side and the steaks and seafood are usually topnotch.

Make sure someone in your group gets the flaming Mexican coffee so you don’t miss the show. In the wine room at Edith’s in Cabo San Lucas.
©Jean Janssen

The floor show that comes with the Mexican coffee, a flaming drink, is not to be missed.  We enjoy mariachis wherever we go in Cabo, but the entertainment at Edith’s is superb.

The guys were pretty tired tonight so no dice (if you’ll pardon the pun).  There is another golf outing, early this time, in the morning we packed it in after returning home from the restaurant.

Day 5 is our last full day in Cabo.  Since we all enjoyed the spa treatments so much, our girls pay us a return visit.  Just a massage for me today.  Just a little different, but equally fabulous.  Boris isn’t a golfer so he partook as well.  Lulu, Fortunato’s wife so handles all the cleaning of the villa, had noticed Boris’ injury and prepared and administered a homemade treatment.  We all decided it looked better, so she is back for a repeat performance today.

Our pool, complete with swim-up bar. Villa Gran Vista, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
©Jean Janssen

After my massage I shower, cover myself in sunscreen and head out for my last day of sunbathing.  While Tahiti was a disappointment in the tan department, I will go home from this trip with a bronze glow, slowly acquired.  We are going to have lunch at the office today, so

Sheer heaven. I truly think I could eat this every day.
–Natasha.
©Robert Kochman

Fortunato is off duty.  But I am dreaming of his guacamole and Lori uncovers some and we have an early afternoon snack.

After we hear from the golfers, we go into town for a really late lunch-3:30 at the office.  Another beautiful day.  This time we start with appetizers and order lunch as well.  Of course, we have far too much food. Just as the food arrives, the golfers show up.  What timing!

At some point, it becomes happy hour which means two for one super-sized drinks.  ( I recommend the pina coladas and the mojitos.)  Boris went for the Mexican beer, brought to the table in your personal and decorated ice bucket.  If this isn’t enough, you can always have Rambo stop by your table and pour something down your throat.  (This I don’t recommend.)

Margaret does a little bargaining on the beach and comes away with a colorful sarong.
©Jean Janssen

Because it is our last day here, we have to partake of a little beach shopping.  We miss thong boy, but our boys have spotted several women they find interesting to look at.  Isn’t it funny that we didn’t notice them several days ago when it was just the girls.

The Office also has their own gift shop where they sell logo items.  I love the drawing print and Lori spots it on a green tees so we get those for our boys.  (Green is one of Rocky’s favorite colors.)  I thought we were headed home after, but everyone wants to do some last shopping in town.  Some people want to go to the hat store we hit a few days ago, others want to pick up some meds like the ones Boris bought the other day.  I figure that I will go in search of the linen store that we like but didn’t find the last time we were in town.

Beach vendors and boat in the bay at Cabo San Lucas.
©Jean Janssen

Margaret likes their things too, so Jim, Margaret, and I head off in one direction.  Calling to Boris, I let him know where I am headed and he goes off following the rest of the group.  We found the shop; it had been where we looked before but had been closed two days ago.  Today, she is able to pick up a few napkins and a tablecloth as well as some things for her children.  Jim has picked up some tees for the guys and I got a tablecloth to match napkins I bought on a previous trip.

View of the bay from The Office in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
©Jean Janssen

Janie called to say they were not able to find us with the directions she gave so they were heading back to the house.  We went back after the linen store.  First thing they asked, “isn’t Boris with you?”  He showed up about 45 minutes later, mad.  He assumed the same plan as the previous day and was waiting for everyone at the Giggling Marlin after heading off on his own.  (Not a bad place to have to wait.)

A sunset view from our terrace our last night in Cabo San Lucas.
©Jean Janssen

Hot Tub Party, Cabo San Lucas.
©Robert Kochman

I had ventured into the hot tub as the evening had grown cooler, so I let Boris stew for a while in the room where he had gone to pout and then let him know that Fortunato had put out his famous guacamole and queso flameado (Spanish for flamed cheese) which got him to come out of the room.  We all had our little moments on this trip.  Of course, none of us was hungry after gorging at The Office.  Of course, that didn’t stop any of us from eating it anyway.  Fabulous!!

Our chef, Fortunato, or “our hero” as Bob referred to him.
©Robert Kochman

Tonight Fortunato prepared a special menu for our last supper in Cabo.  We had potatoes, spinach salad, grilled vegetables, and lobster and steak.  He even prepared some of the marlin that Fred and Boris had caught.  I have had marlin before; not a meal I wanted to repeat.  Those that tried it on this occasion said it was good, but it was clearly not the table favorite.  More surf and turf for me please.

Bob with his prop assistant Margaret delivering the famous monkey joke.
©Jean Janssen

After the food, it was joke time.  Fred finished a joke he had started several days ago (he kept getting interrupted); Jim repeated his infamous goat (aka Lawyer) joke which is referenced on our trip t-shirts and something I can not repeat; and Bob gave us a classic performance of the money joke which Margaret has even immortalized on a painting she got for him.

Villa Gran Vista, Cabo San Lucas, Baja Mexico
©Jean Janssen

Everyone agreed that we will be back next year.  Same house, absolutely same chef.  Time for feet up by the fire pit to close the evening.