Mexican Vacation, Part Two

We left the room, the phone still ringing, and made our way to the pool. Like the rest of the condo/resort, it was sparsely populated. A few families sat around the giant pool, which palm-lined snaked throughout the huge complex, past the Pirate Ship bar, anchored in the pool, but most of the activity taking place around us were small sales clusters – invariably a prospective couple or two led by a quick-paced sales chick, gesticulating loudly, waving her clipboard, and moving the herd deftly through the steps of their ‘free tour.’

We traded in our towel cards, and made our way to our chaise lounges. It didn’t take long for Tammy to make her decision. “Would you think I was crazy if I said ‘let’s check out of this place ... now?’ There is a World’s Leading Hotel Resorts that I found when I was doing my research down here, and I’d like to try to see if we could get in there.”

“I figured that we wouldn’t be staying here all week,” I replied. After five years, I knew enough to know the telltale Tammy’s patterns. If she didn’t like a table, or a room, or a resort, she’d do something about it. No matter if, as in this case, we’d already pre-paid the week’s stay through Priceline, and would probably not be able to recoup our money. Where once I had fought such impromptu changes, now I knew enough to know that she’d get her way in the end anyway, so I might as well acquiesce now and save us all the time and hassle. “No problem dear,” I said.

And fast as we could, we packed up the room and checked out of the Villa del Arco --itself not an easy process. Forget about Holiday Inn Express – here they did not want to let the sales prospect fish slip off the hook. “Why, may we ask, are you checking out after only one night?” they queried. And could they entice us to stay by offering a room upgrade? But they did not know the Tammy patterns like I did. We persisted, so after a few more phone calls to the manager, and after inviting us to write down on a piece a paper the reason we were leaving early (which we both did with great gusto, using both sides of the paper), the woman at the front desk gave us our exit pass, and we were allowed to proceed to the bell man.

We climbed aboard a taxi van, and zoomed down Mexico Highway 1. Thirty minutes later we arrived at the Hotel Marquis. The Marquis is a 5-star resort, with Zen sculpture gardens, eternity reflecting pools, and big beautiful oceanfront rooms with spa tubs and bath towels shaped like swans. It was a world away and apart from our first day.

Yes, this is the Mexican vacation that we were looking for. OK. So we are spending more than we had planned (but only by a little, as we were able to get a good deal here, and even with the pre-paid Priceline package thrown on top, it turned out to be not so bad.) But hey, and here is the lesson of this two-part tale: it was worth it. You only go round once in life, and you might as well do it in style. It pays to go first class.

Tammy is enjoying the accommodations. The concierge called her a doctor, who immediately made a house call to the resort and after an examination prescribed the right mix of drugs, which the hotel pharmacy had sent up to the room. Talk about service – the staff here has been amazing. At the recommendation of the spa manager, Tammy took advantage of healing eucalyptus spa treatments and specially concocted essential oils, and the result of all this is that she is finally on the mend.

So today as I write this, it is my 50th birthday. We celebrated the day by first sunning by the reflecting pool, and then strolling along the magnificent Mexican beach, watching and listening to the sea. It is truly a beautiful scene here. The place is great. The service is amazing. The drinks are strong and true. We are in paradise, and it feels like we have the entire place to ourselves.

While normally I do not smoke, I decide to buy a Cuban cigar to mark the occasion. Tonight, after a splendid meal of fine grilled fish, Tammy and I settle into our oceanfront balcony, listen to the waves of the Sea of Cortez crash against the shoreline and enjoy the smell of the fine smoke.