UMTravels

WHY do I book early flights. I Hate, Hate, Hate them. They screw with my bodily elimination schedule, make me cranky, and generally leave me lethargic by the end of the day. At least this time I have a decent reason – to meet up with Cyndii/BamBam and Hummingbird at LAX so I don’t have to go through the hassles, confusion, and hell of arriving in Puerto Vallarta and having to figure out hotel and water taxi to Yelapa on my own.

A quick cocktail in the Board Room cures the cranky, but does nothing for the bodily elimination.

Flight to Los Angeles uneventful – sitting in First because I slammed 65,000 frequent flyer miles down on a ticket. Breakfast up front was OK – though the potato pancakes were a little dry. Can’t complain – I got food; those in the back had to pay for theirs.

Got to LAX a couple of minutes late – but early enough to get my computer setup for a Skype call in for the marketing meeting. Yikes – an hour and a half on the damn headset – my bladder was killing me by the end of it. Generally a good meeting, but more crap to clean up next week when I return form Mexico.

Did I mention I was headed for lovely Mexico? The boys (the priest and his hottie boyfriend mentioned above) have offered me gratis accommodation in their Yelapa flat that they have reserved through March 2^nd. Must be nice to have a priest’s schedule! Their flight from Vancouver was due in at noon, just after the conference call ended – leaving me barely enough time to hit duty free for some scotch.

The LAX – PVR flight was loading at 12:25 so there was just time for a juice at the Board Room for the boys – too bad they didn’t have a longer layover so I could have show them the good life (and gotten them some food to tide them over). At least they got to see the place.

Back at the boarding gate they ran into one of their friends from Yelepa coming back from six weeks in Reno. The three of them were in the back, and there wasn’t a way for me to send them back drinks – oh, well, enough time for that in Mexico.

Flew through immigration and customs because I was basically on the first off the plane and had no checked luggage. By the time the rest of the crew cleared all the mess I had already hit the cash machine and fended off a hundred attempts to separate me from my money (tours, cabs, etc – no pick pockets).

It quickly became clear why I got up early – Hummingbird bargained the cab driver down to $30 (US) for a ride for the four of us and all our stuff to Old Towne Puerto Vallarta and the lovely and functional Hotel Jasmin. A room for the four of us (two double beds, two people each) was 700 peso ($14 to the dollar is the bank exchange) which would be $50. The advantage of this hotel is that it is three blocks from the pier where the water taxi’s leave tomorrow.

Dinner for the three of us (Jerrad, their friend had legal problems to deal with) was at American prices but very good —- 1200 for food and two bottles of wine (and tip). Maybe that isn’t bad if I use the official exchange rate – that puts it at $85 US which I guess isn’t that bad.

Slept well – and was totally shocked that no one was snoring with four middle-age men in one room. Well, maybe I was, but no one was complaining.