Cheery Cabo Cruise Compendium

[Editor's note: I am so sorry that you could not see the Desert X pictures until I sent you a link to the album. I had copied them from the google photos in my Chromebook and then pasted them into this blog. It did not work. So today, I have gone through the tedious procedure of emailing the picture to me -- from my phone -- and downloading them onto to Mom's desk top. After that, I open them in Irfanview, mainly to cut down the size for faster uploading here, but also to crop out other tourists and flaws with the picture framing.]

By the way, I googled my blog and my trip to Chicago came up as a headline (Oh, the Places We Will Go) -- which was the last long Amtrak train I'll ever take -- and it was September of 2017. How time flies!

Here we are humming Willie Nelson's "On the Road Again" on the way to San Pedro where the Ruby Princess ship is docked.

We were amazed at all of the yellow wildflowers here. The trip was about 2 hours (3 different freeways).

And then we arrived. Luckily, we found a porter at the edge of the parking lot. He grabbed out bags and told us that we didn't have to wait in line at the door with the others, so we were able to go to another entrance and zip right in. I say "zip" sardonically because we had to wait in line for an elevator and go through security twice.

Mom had dropped me off with the bags (and her walker) and she parked the car. She was gone so long (there were a lot of cars there already), that I was thinking maybe she should have taken the walker. But she was o.k. It was just a long walk!

On Board at last!

Here's the cabin. We did have a window (behind me). No, it's not a porthole! We had just come into the cabin, hence the purses on the desk/table/counter. The closet and bathroom is on the other side of this mirror.

This is the view from the Lido deck.

Naturally, after getting up early and driving for a couple of hours, we were hungry for lunch. So we went to the Lido Deck, aka "the buffet." We had collected our cruise cards which is coded with personal info. They took our picture which displays to the crew when the card is swiped entering or leaving the ship, but it's not right on the card. Anytime you need to pay for something, you hand them your cruise card and they swipe it. For instance, specialty coffees such as lattes or wine are not included. The card is also the key to your cabin. 

We spent two days cruising at sea and we arrived at Cabo San Lucas to a wonderfully sunny day. It was about 80 degrees and lovely. On the first day in port, we took a glass bottom boat tour. We laughed because the "glass bottom" was about 2 feet wide and 4 feet long with sides so you could lean on it. The better view was just off the side of the boat since the mate was tossing hunks of bread to the fish.

But the sightseeing around the peninsula was the best part. The mate kept up a running patter but between his accent, the spray, hopping other boats' wakes, I don't remember a lot of the names. Hence, 'the hole in the rock' is about the extent of my memory ...

This is the captain of the glass bottomed boat as we puttered out of the harbor.

This boat was also a water taxi, so before we started our tour, they drove right up to a beach and the young man next to Mom got off. He was only wearing a bathing suit and carrying his wallet and passport in his hand. He was annoyed when the mate hit him up for a tip and then he hopped into the water and waded ashore. I asked how he would get back to the ship and the mate told me he was staying at the hotel which was separated from this beach by a lot of rock.

Ruby Princess

Bird

Lovers' Beach

See that little dot on the left? That is the last bit of rock that is Mexico -- Cabo San Lucas.

After the lovely tour, we walked around, had a taco and a cerveza. I did not buy one of the tee shirts that said, "Keep calm. You are on the FUN side of Trump's wall." 

More later, but right now I'm going to the gym for the first time in a week!