The Life in Your Years


"And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years" - Abraham Lincoln



Showing posts with label merchants. Show all posts
Showing posts with label merchants. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Cabo San Lucas con Las Chicas






It's soul warming catching up with old friends and forming new bonds for life. This last week I adventured in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico at the tip of the Baja California Sur Peninsula with a few girlfriends. Work hard. Play hard. That's how we do.




Enjoying the vibrant coastal colors - blue, brown, orange, pink, red, purple, green - while being serenaded each night by the white-capped crashing waves, we made the most of our rare time together. Some water aerobics, beach yoga, a jog, regular marches up steep stairs, and spa time soothed each of us. Don't get me wrong, there were plenty of drinks too.




The time away from cell phones and social media was our bridge for bonding even more. We were a single pack of American ladies proudly on the prowl, looking to relax, kick back and have some memorable fun. It was bliss!




This was our building on the rocks with private porch and impeccable view. We stayed at Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach Resort & Spa on the other side of the peninsula tip facing the Pacific Ocean.




A great thing about this resort is that we were able to choose all-inclusive for a handful of our days there. On the other days we went into town and just made do on our own. With the number of tequilas, mojitos, wine and bottled water we consumed on Friday, Saturday and Sunday alone, the inclusive was the way to go. And the service is fantastic.
















The Nowhere Bar just next to the marina was the place to boogie on Saturday night. Great music and people, excellent service as well, but look out for 'complimentary' waters that are followed-up with la cuenta, or bill.




We were fascinated by some pink flamingos on site. What an intriguing animal. I'll do some research and come back with details about them. Some of us were concerned for their safety during a loud and bright chubasco one early morning, a Spanish term for a heavy rain storm like a typhoon that frequents the Pacific Southwest in late summer. These wondrous animal's skinny pink legs and knobby knees proved not to fail them.








Stunning! No necessito hablar nada mas (no need to say more).




Early on Saturday morning I drug my weary and sore self out of bed to support Mexico in the gold medal soccer match versus Brazil. When in Cabo...

So with hair of the dog, Herradura and Pacifico in my hand, we excitedly cheered the team to victory. Neither had previously won an Olympic gold medal. Viva la Mexico!




After three days of sweat, laughs and booze, the Armonia Spa provided us with some divine cleansing time. For ten dollars we were able to steam, sauna, relax with cucumbers, and hit the hot tub and cold bath. We left rejuvenated and ready for our night's sea activity. A few crispy cucumbers served as a snack to fuel our fires.












The Buccaneer Queen pirate ship proved to be quite the loco adventure. The sunset cruise is open bar and the hosts provide super soild entertainment - and the guests too. Fair warning, the sea was rough, so be prepared for some serious rocking.








By our fifth day we were ready to get out of the sun and back to life and reality, regular cell service and our families. Esto Adventura de las Chicas will not be our last despite some concerns with change around marriage and children. And while it's true that our lives will continue to evolve, there's no doubt that sooner or later (hopefully sooner) we'll be ready for more precious girl time. Muchas gracias, Mexico, for the tans, views, time away together and laughs. Hasta la próxima vez.




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Hong Kong

Reflection of Hong Kong street in cab rear view mirror

Hong Kong became a colony of the British Empire after the First Opium War (1839–42), was occupied by Japan in during WWII and controlled again by the British until 1997. The Programme for International Student Assessment ranked Hong Kong as one of the top education systems in the world.







Traditional Chinese tea house - Lin Heung

At the historical tea house we shared a pot of wonderful Jasmine tea and took in the every day people that surrounded us reading the paper, discussing politics and playing crosswords. I discovered Pu Erh tea on this trip which tasted much like my favorite African Roobios (Red Bush).




Old Street leading to Hollywood Rd, one of the first streets built in the colony, on Hong Kong Island.

You can see that a florist on Hong Kong Island has a store packed with tangerine trees. Tangerines in Chinese tradition are supposed to bring luck into the new year; Oranges are to bring wealth. Both have evolved from a language pun since the Chinese words for luck and wealth are similar to that of tangerine and orange.




I discovered this amazing store in the city called Initial: The Unusual Experience that is armed with super classic cuts with determinedly pimped-out detail. One of my personal favorites was a longer white flowy blouse with a small fur detail just on the collar.
Photo from: http://www.allabouthongkong.com/?p=169

The decore is inviting although a sculpture at the front literally shocked me so into the unusual that I almost walked right back out...thankfully I didn't! The website is fancy, but I can't see anywhere that I can do some real shopping; makes me wish I had done more while there!

We also checked out S.T.P. who became popular with its edgy lines of gift and leather goods, and is now growing an name for its clothing line.


Busy merchant street on Hong Kong Island



After some adventuring through the busy streets, wandering through the occasional sale, we made it to Cafe Landmark for a truly brilliant lunch. My host had the lobster linguine pictured on the website. I enjoyed a small kobe steak thinly sliced served aside wild greens with aged balsamic vinegar and olive oil. It was the most classic, comforting decadence.

For desert we tried a few scoops of ice cream - get this - rose petal and ginger flavors. The were rather different and nice to try, but I'll touche with my Kopps's chocolate custard any day, time or place.

All of these views are in Kowloon near the Harbor City mall