FlyForFun

INTRODUCTION

For the past fifteen years or so, I have celebrated my birthday by travelling to Maui and to either Paris or London. My birthday is February 11 and the Presidents Day holiday usually is the weekend after my birthday. I fly to Paris or London for a long weekend, work a few days, and fly to Maui for a long weekend. As I was planning for my 2010 celebration, I realized that my birthday was on a Thursday and the next Monday was Presidents Day. I decided to travel to Paris on my actual birthday and invited my mother to accompany me since she played a major role in my birth and because she is also Executive Platinum on AA and could use her own EVIPs to upgrade. In December 2009 as a Christmas present, I had booked a trip for the two of us to play with the gray whales in Baja Mexico; we had taken a similar trip in 2008. The trip left from San Diego on Wednesday, February 23 and lasted for six days. We had to be in San Diego no later than Tuesday night since our group was scheduled to depart early on Wednesday morning. I realized that we could spend our extra day visiting the pandas - including the newest one Yun Zi - at the San Diego Zoo. Then I thought that it was ridiculous to go to work on Monday and fly to San Diego on Tuesday. Being a semi-savvy frequent flyer, I then discovered that we could travel from DFW to San Diego via Maui for only a couple of hundred dollars more. So now the schedule was:

PART ONE
Thursday, February 11, 2010 DFW to CDG on AA 48 (business class)
Friday, February 12, 2010 through Monday, February 15, 2010 in Paris
Monday, February 15, 2010 CDG to DFW on AA 49 (business class)

PART TWO
Tuesday, February 16, 2010 through Thursday, February 18, 2010 at work
Friday, February 19, 2010, DFW to OGG on AA 7 (first class)
Friday, February 19, 2010 through Monday, February 22, 2010 in Lahaina
Monday, February 22, 2010 OGG to LAX on AA 14 (first class)

PART THREE
Tuesday, February 23, 2010 LAX to SAN on AA 3025 (American Eagle)
Tuesday, February 23, 2010 in San Diego

PART FOUR
Wednesday, February 24, 2010 through Monday, March 1, 2010 in Baja (various locations)
Monday night, March 1, 2010 in San Diego
Tuesday, March 2, 2010 SAN to DFW on AA 1526 (first class)

PART ONE - DFW to CDG and Back

I scheduled part one of the celebration to depart on Thursday and return on Monday. Since this would be my seventh trip to France over the past twelve months, I knew that three days in Paris would be sufficient. After checking my favorite hotels, I found no great bargains so I looked through VRBO (Vacation Rentals by Owner). We had amazing luck in November 2009 when three of us travelled to Paris for a week and rented a two bedroom, two bathroom apartment. Since I was travelling with my mother, we did not require as much space. We found an apartment with one bedroom, one bathroom, living area with sofa bed, full kitchen, and computer with internet for 120 Euros a night. The owner, Jean Charles, and I did all of the arrangements over the internet; he agreed to meet us at the apartment. The website for this apartment is http://www.vacation-rental-owner.com/

I now joke that if I had stayed at home for my birthday, I would have received twelve and one-half inches (drumbeat) of snow. Instead - stupid me drove twenty miles to work, worked until noon, drove twenty miles in the snow to my mother's house to pick her up, and then drove thirty miles in the snow to DFW. The easy part was driving from my mother's house to DFW because we were in her Jeep; the hard part was driving from work to her house since I did not want to damage my birthday present to myself from last year; I am happy to report that a 2009 Mercedes SLK 350 handles extremely well in snow - I just hope that I do not have to do it again.

Anyway, we allowed three hours to drive the usual forty-five minute trip to DFW. It only took an hour and fifteen minutes since the roads were just slushy and not icy. We drove to Terminal D, the international terminal at DFW and were welcomed by red signs at the parking garage stating that level five was full. Since I always park on level five, I ignored the sign and found a great parking spot near an elevator. We finally encountered icy road conditions when we tried to cross from the parking garage to the terminal but we made it inside without any damage. We used the self-check-in kiosk in the AA Priority Access area and boarding passes for 5A and 5B popped out. We had upgraded using EVIPs since we are both Executive Platinum. We did not check bags.

Since so many flights had been cancelled that day at DFW due to the snow, security was not crowded and took only a few minutes until my mother's bag was searched (she had potatoes in her carry-on bag that she intended to bake when we were in Paris). She was allowed through.

We proceeded directly to the Admirals Club. I presented our boarding passes and our lovely black cards to the attendant and then mentioned that it was my birthday. We each received two drink coupons which we immediately redeemed for chardonnay. Our flight was delayed but thank goodness it was not cancelled. We boarded the plane and were met by - ta da - Pierre the Purser. We have flown with Pierre from DFW to CDG at least ten times over the past three years; however, we were usually in coach and only heard Pierre. I gushed to Pierre about how excited we were to be flying with him - yet again - but he did not share my enthusiasm. Perhaps Pierre did not have wine and no food before boarding as we did. Pierre did provide beverages so we sipped champagne while waiting for take-off. Since DFW only had one de-icer for wide-body planes, our flight was about three hours late in departing.

While waiting for departure, my mother experienced the first of her three audio/video problems: her video system displayed an error message; her remedy was to switch it with another player in a vacant seat; I was really relieved that when that person boarded, her system worked. Then my mother (who is Executive Platinum and has flown to Europe over one-hundred times) could not get any sound through her a/v system; I flipped the switch on her headphones and voila! Her third problem was that her a/v system only worked through the battery; her connection was broken. Pierre tried to fix it but our solution was to connect her system to my power source and then I used personal DVD player with its own battery. We also made note of the seat and vowed not to sit there on the return flight - just in case we were on the same plane and just in case it had not been fixed.

Dining requests were taken starting from the front of the plane using proper FEBO. I'll post the menu later since I do not have it with me at work today. I posted the menu on Tuesday morning after I finally found it in my carry-on bag.

To Start: Warm mixed nuts
Or Marinated cheese antipasto.

Appetizer: Smoked salmon and herb marinated shrimp.

Salad: Fresh seasonal greens and an assortment of fresh vegetables offered with pepper cream dressing or Sapori d’Arte olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Bread Basket: Assorted gourmet breads offered with butter or Sapori d’Arte olive oil.

Mains:
Caribbean Crusted Beef – grilled fillet of beef with a Caribbean-style crust, offered with garlic butter and French potato salad.

Lamb Medallions with Marionberry – lamb medallions offered with marionberry glaze, roasted butternut squash, haricots verts and mushroom risotto. (Mrionberry - wasn't he the Mayor of Washington, D.C. who was caught smoking crack).

Curried Shrimp and Scallops – seared shrimp and scallops accompanied by an East Indian curry sauce, served with aromatic jasmine rice and vegetable ratatouille.

Garden Lasagna – Lasagna layered with a blend of cheeses, complemented by diced zucchini, carrots, and broccoli topped with tomato basil sauce.

Dessert: Vanilla ice cream sundae – vanilla ice cream with a choice of hot fudge, butterscotch, or seasonal berry toppings, whipped cream and pecans.

Or Basil caciotta and white cheddar cheese accompanied by seasonal grapes.

Breakfast:
Select from: Chilled orange juice, fresh seasonal fruit, pepper jack cheese omelette with a cheddar cheese sour cream potato timbale and turkey sausage flavored with sun-dried tomato and basil, yogurt, and cereal.

Breakfast Breads: A selection of breakfast breads

Pre-Arrival Beverage: For Your Enjoyment: Chilled sparkling water with a fresh citrus garnish


I selected the vegetarian lasagna and my mother selected the beef. We were served warm nuts and the cheese appetizer, the huge salad, our entrees, and warm bread. Aside from the nuts, the only dish that I finished was my sundae with hot fudge, just a tad of butterscotch, nuts, and real whipped cream.

Since we were flying to Paris, we both wached the documentary "September Issue" about the September issue of Vogue magazine. I also watched "This is It" the Michael Jackson documentary; this video had "special" meaning for me. Back in 1993, my mother and I flew from DFW to Paris on AA. We were both elite then and elite really meant something. Even though my mother was travelling on an award ticket and I was on a paid ticket, we just asked if we could sit in business class and we were handed new boarding passes. Coach was not overbooked, we did not use miles, and we did not pay anything - we just asked nicely. Joseph Jackson and one of the Jackson brothers were on our flight and in business class (I was into hard rock and heavy metal during the 80s so I was not sure which brother it was but I knew Joseph from his eyebrows). When we arrived at Orly, Joseph Jackson got my mother's bag out of the overhead compartment for her and also gave her a wink and a smile. On the return flight, there were no Jacksons but we told the agent that we had been upgraded on the flight to Paris so she upgraded us on the flight home - those were the good old days.

Since our flight was so late in taking off, I actually managed to sleep a bit in my business-class bed. Pierre woke us with fresh orange juice. I just ate fruit, strawberry/banana yogurt, and part of a croissant. I drank diet coke and my mother drank coffee.

We finally landed at 12:25 PM and took forever to get to the lovely stairs and the even lovelier bus. Maybe one out of ten times our arrival flight at CDG has a jetway. It was really cold outside too. We used the Fast Track line and the passport control officer wished me a happy birthday in French and in English; I was quite impressed and slightly touched.

We had about 50 Euros from our last trip but were still irritated that the only ATM in Terminal 2A was out-of-order. We had enough money for the Roissybus and for a carnet of metro tickets but not enough to pay Jean-Charles the balance due. We stopped briefly to use the facilities and then waited for the Roissybus since according to Jean-Charles's directions to the apartment, the Roissybus seemed the most direct. We have taken the Roissybus many, many times and have never had to wait very long. It took about an hour and one-half for a bus to arrive; we just missed one because we had to use the toilet but still it should not have taken that long. Just as we were about to abandon all hope, the Roissybus arrived. It then took forever to travel to Opera. We found our metro stop by Galleries Layfayette and then took the metro to Voltaire. We then walked about six blocks or so to the apartment stopping only at an ATM to get Euros. At the apartment, we buzzed Jean-Charles who was a tad cranky that we were late. We had provided him with our flight information so he knew our flight was late but we apparently took way too much time waiting for the Roissybus; he told us the only other time anyone had been that late was when someone stopped to shop. We assured him that we were neither shoppers nor stupid. He then demonstrated all of the features of the apartment and made me follow him outside to prove that I could manage to unlock the doors. I did just fine until I tried to find the apartment. I knew it was up one flight of stairs but did not realize that I had gone down a hallway past one set of stairs to the second set of stairs. I buzzed the apartment and my mother came looking for me and directed me to the apartment. Since there were no numbers on the apartment,, I put a post-it on the floor by the door. Later when we returned, we noticed there was a big doormat in front of the door - and I am always bragging that I do not get jetlag.

After unpacking and sending emails, we went grocery shopping. We found a Leader Price (or maybe it was Price Leader) that had generic coca cola light super cheap. We bought three one and one/half liters of this beverage (I'm addicted to Diet Coke and have to drink it), two boxes of cookies, and a big bag of potato chips for 4.01 Euros. The only time that I allow myself to eat real cookies and potato chips is when I am on vacation and know that I will walk a lot; normally, I eat baked chips and low-fat cookies.

We went back to the apartment and dressed as warmly as possible. We then took the metro to Trocadero (direct with no changes). We left at about 18:10 and were at Trocadero by 18:45. It was zero degrees C and the wind was quite strong. By the time we made it out of the station and to the viewing area, we only had a ten-minute wait for the twinkling time. At exactly 19:00, the Eiffel Tower went dark and then twinkled like crazy for ten minutes or so. In November 2009, we were treated to the extended-play version with lots of patterns and designs. While waiting, we refused all offers to purchase mini ETs and big glow-in-the-dark ETs. A shopping tip - if you do want to purchase the mini ETs that serve as keychains, buy them at Notre Dame where they are much cheaper. After the twinkling stopped, we leisurely made our way back to the apartment where we dined on baked chicken, baked potato, and broccoli washed down with generic diet coke.

My mother figured out how to operate the television and we watched the French version of "Airline" and CNN. We managed to stay up until 22:00 and then retired to our separate beds. Jean-Charles actually asked me if we planned to use both beds. I reiterated that I was travelling with my mother.

The next morning we awoke, got ready (after I figured out how to use the shower), and left the apartment. My mother ate toast and bacon with her coffee. I purchased two croissants and a pain au chocolat at the neighborhood boulangerie for about 3 Euros. I munched on my pain au chocolat while waiting for the metro. We travelled to Varenne with only one change of trains and walked to the Rodin Museum (Musee Rodin). I attempted to purchase two two-day Paris Museum Passes (we go to a lot of museums and the focus of this trip was to visit my favorite museums) but one of the attendants told me not to because most of the museums would be closed tomorrow. Eventually he figured out that it was Saturday and not Sunday and sold us the Museum Passes for 32 Euros each; we filled them out and entered the deserted courtyard. We took full advantage of enjoying and photographing Rodin's sculptures since no one else was outside - were they afraid of a few dry snowflakes? We enjoyed seeing the works of art sprinkled with snow even though the Gates of Hell and the Thinker looked a tad cold. Balzac was almost shivering in the gardens but at least that statue of the great writer was dressed. When we were chilled, we joined the crowds of people in the house. It is just fascinating to me to view not only the amazing works by Rodin and by Camille Claudel but also to see Rodin's personal art collection that includes paintings by Van Gogh, Monet, and Renior. We eventually left the warmth of the Rodin and the naked statue of Balzac to walk to the Musee d'Orsay.

One of the advantages of the Paris Museum Pass is special admission areas so we did not have to stand outside in the snow. The Musee d'Orsay is undergoing renovations and the upper floor with the Impressionist Collection is closed. The paintings are scattered throughout the museum so we enjoyed tracking down our favorites. We could not locate Whistler's painting of his mother or Monet's painting of his dindons, but we did find Monet's painting of Camille on her deathbed. After admiring the art in the museum, we discovered that we were hungry so we left the museum, walked across the bridge, and found a bench in the Tuilleries. We sat and ate croissants, cheese, sliced chicken, chips, and cookies with generic diet coke. For some reason almost all of the benches were empty - could it have been the snow?

Our next stop was the Orangerie to see Monet's water lily paintings. This museum also has one of the nicest toilet areas (to activate the faucet in the ladies loo, you have to step on a mat on the floor that is slightly under the sink); we amused ourselves by watching ladies struggle to wash their hands but all persevered. We were able to see the special exhibit on children as models in works of art; we saw it on the opening day in November and it was still fascinating. The Orangerie was closed for a number of years. When it finally re-opened we were thrilled to see the water lily paintings again but also to see a really cute guard who gets to yell "No Flash" at all of the tourists. Well we were lucky again, because he was on duty; his hair now has some touches of gray that only make him more attractive. I thought about drawing his attention by using flash but I have way too much respect for the works of art.

Since we still had an hour or so before closing time, we walked through the Tuilleries to the Louvre. Since we had our Paris Museum Pass, we just popped in to see our favorites: the Mona Lisa, the elephant in the crown jewels exhibit, the Slaves, Venus, and Winged Victory.

We then took the metro from Palais Royal to Voltaire. On the way to the apartment, we stopped at Leader Price to get some cheap wine; however, an alarm sounded in the store and it was incredibly loud and shrill. To save our ears from possible damage and our livers from possible damage, we left as quickly as possible. We stopped at the boulangerie and purchased a baguette; half of it was consumed in the three-minute walk to the apartment. We checked emails, discovered that our upgrades came through for the flight back, changed our seats so we could be together and avoided 5B, and read the news about the record snowfall at home. For dinner we ate chicken, baked potato, broccoli, and bread.

We awoke the next morning and were out the door by 9:00. We stopped at a different boulangerie and purchased an even yummier pain au chocolat and croissants. While waiting for the train in the metro, I ate my pain au chocolat; at least two homeless-looking men wished me a bon-appetite; they were on opposite sides of the track. I just waved and was glad that I was attractive to someone that morning.

We took the metro to Cite with one change of trains. We visited Notre Dame during mass. Since it was a gorgeous sunny but cold day, the stained glass windows were breathtaking. We were really disappointed that St. Chapelle was closed due to ice; the towers at Notee Dame were closed also. We popped in the Conciergerie to see Marie Antoinette's artifacts and cell recreation. We then walked towards the Louvre enjoying the sunny weather and window shopping. My favorite stores are the pet stores; the prices are astronomical - especially for Siamese cats. We saw some cats and lots of puppies but did not buy any. I joke that when I retire I am moving to Paris and will breed Siamese cats to supplement my retirement; however, the mere thought of a Siamese in heat destroys my illusions.

Our next stop was the "Fashion Museum" as I call it; but there were no special exhibits on fashion so we looked at jewelry and then left; it was included with the Paris Museum Pass. We then went back to the Louvre to spend more time looking at our favorites. We dined again in the Tuilleries but on a different bench; since it was sunny, more people were out.

We popped in the Orangerie and saw the Monet paintings; the cute guard was working downstairs. We returned to the Musee d'Orsay and thoroughly toured the works of art. Our Paris Museum Passes allowed us to skip the lines and save a lot of time.

Since it was getting dark, we took the metro to the George V station. Louis Vuitton is located very close to the metro station. I have a decent collection of LV but I like to view the new items. We only window shopped because there was a huge line just to enter the store. We posed for photos in the middle of the Champs Ellyses (using a crosswalk and a traffic signal for safety). Our next stop was the Arc d'Triomphe since it was included with the Paris Museum Pass. The lift was working this time, so my mother stooped over and looked tired; we were allowed on with no questions asked. We still had to walk up the stairs to the terraces but we managed. There were some patches of ice and some piles of snow but we avoided them and enjoyed the incredible views and the Eiffel Tower; we saw the sunset too. We took the lift down and walked to the metro.

We arrived at the apartment after 19:00 and ate baked chicken, pasta, and garlic bread. We then packed for our flight.

We left the apartment at 7:15; the keys were left on the table as instructed. I do recommend staying at this apartment. The owner really cares about visitors and tries to assist them. He is quite attractive, incredibly brilliant (he lectures in the US), and speaks beautiful English. The apartment is a good combination of charming and modern. He provides a computer with internet services, free telephone calls to most places in the world, television with oodles of channels, an amazing music collection, books on any subject imaginable, and excellent tips on what to do in Paris. The apartment had a sofa bed in the living area, another sofa bed in the bedroom, a fully-equipped kitchen, a separate toilet room, a great shower, and a lift. We paid half of the rental via PayPal and the balance in person. No deposit was required. The owner is a professional photographer and designer who dedicates a portion of his time to charitable organizations.

We took the metro to the Opera area and took the Roissybus to the airport. We were at CDG by 8:30. We checked-in at the Priority Access at AA and received our boarding passes, Fast Track cards, and directions to the Admirals Club. We know to go past the first security area and to continue to the one located farther down in Terminal 2A. If you enter through the first security area, you have to climb the stairs, go through the restaurant, and go down the stairs. The personnel at CDG take Fast Track and elite passengers seriously; you are personally escorted through passport control and the security screening. At the Admirals Club we ate our last pain au chocolats and croissants, read USA Today, and waited for our flight.

I'll continue on Monday...

I tweaked the report and now hope to finish Part One.

I was so looking forward to boarding the plane and sipping my champagne. Maybe, secretly I was hoping that Pierre would be our Purser. Our flight was scheduled to depart from the gate that is at the top of the escalator from the Admirals Club. They had already started boarding when we got in line. I whined a bit because OMG non-elite passengers had the gaul to be in the Priority Access line; I learned my lesson that the only good whine that the French appreciate does not include the letter H. Guess who the only two business class passengers to be selected for secondary screening were? I am sure it was just a coincidence but I was so thirsty for my champagne and needed overhead space for my LV carry-ons. After about twenty minutes of waiting with coach passengers, we were patted down and our bags were scrutinized. The lady who searched my stuff even opened my portable DVD player; after she saw that I was watching "Project Runway" she decided that I could board the plane.

After we boarded, stowed our bags, and sat in 6A and 6B, we thought we recognized the man sitting in front of us. I was quite proud of myself for recognizing a radio personality. After the Purser (not Pierre), greeted Mr. and Mrs. Joyner, I realized that it was indeed Tom Joyner and his wife. For those of you who have not been flying a lot for the past 25 years or so as I have, the name Tom Joyner may not ring a bell (or even a call button). Back in the 1980s and 1990s before satellite radio, Tom Joyner hosted two radio shows every day - a morning show in Dallas and an afternoon show in Chicago. He commuted every day on AA and racked up millions of miles.

I googled his wife the next day and discovered that she is a fitness expert. Not only was she in fantastic shape but she declined the freshly-baked cookies so we received her discards.

Our flight departed a little late because of secondary screening of passengers. While waiting, we did get our champagne; orange juice and mimosas were also offered. Lunch orders were taken from back to front so FEBO was followed. I'll post the menu after I find it. I had gnocchi and my mother had the chicken. Well, I found something even better than the menu; I found a trip report with the same menu and he even posts photos, so please read the trip report by Paul McGrath "DUB-DUB (DUB-ORD-LAX-SFO-BOS-ORD-DUB) and look at his photos, but I'll go ahead and post:

To Start: Warm mixed nuts
Or Marinated cheese antipasto.

Appetizer: Grilled scallops, hot-smoked salmon and grilled shrimp with a marinated roasted vegetable salad.

Salad: Fresh seasonal greens and an assortment of fresh vegetables offered with roasted red pepper dressing or Sapori d’Arte olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Mains:
Chateaubriand with Mushroom Sauce – served with porcini mushroom sauce, grilled vegetables and potatoes au gratin.

Foie Gras Stuffed Chicken – breast of chicken stuffed with duck foie gras offered with black peppercorn sauce, buttered haricot verts and wild rice with pecans.

Pecorino Gnocchi – gnocchi stuffed with a rich pecorino cream filling.
Rack of Lamb with Merlot Sauce.

Dessert: Ice cream sundae with hot fudge, whipped cream and nuts.

Or a selection of gourmet cheeses offered with dried fruit and assorted crackers.

‘Light Meal’ :
Uno Farmer’s Market Pizza: A Chicago-style deep dish pizza topped with mixed vegetables and a three cheese blend, served with basil pesto and a fresh green salad.

-OR-

Gourmet Salad: Fresh seasonal greens topped with grilled chicken and sliced beef, asparagus, tomatoes and Brie, offered with balsamic tomato vinaigrette.

Fresh fruit and cookies.


I watched my own DVDs, read, played games, and watched some of the in-flight entertainment. I also drank chardonnay, real diet coke, and water. We were offered snacks of cheese and crackers but I declined. I did help myself to some Rice Krispie treats from the galley. I also declined the pizza snack and my mother selected the "beef" salad. Well the salad did have a few slices of beef but it also had asparagus spears, chunks of chicken breast (about the only animal product that I eat), and other goodies; between the two of us, we finished off the dish. We also ate the fresh-baked cookies including Mrs. Joyner's.

The flight was uneventful and we actually landed a few minutes early. We went straight to Terminal D without any detours or delays. Since we had nothing to declare and no luggage to pick-up, we were on our way to my mother's house less than twenty minutes after landing. Traffic was minimal since it was Presidents Day. The snow had all melted.

I was back at work on Tuesday morning to endure a series of meetings and play catch-up before leaving again on Friday morning for Part Two of my birthday adventure to Maui for three days of humpback whale watching. I'll continue the trip report tomorrow. I hope people are reading this because the adventures only get better and I will have video links available.

snod08

Wow, you write really well! I can almost live your TR!
Thanks. Please post the rest when you find time.

FlyForFun

If anyone is reading this trip report, I just added more details about part one. I also tried to correct spelling errors.

As I stated at the end of Part One, the trip only gets better. I have some amazing video links for our playtime activities with the gray whales in the remote lagoons of Baja Mexico that I endured two days on a bus (there and back for four days total) and then two hours (there and back) in a van on a dirt road. So please stay tuned for updates.

thomas199023

Great TR, keep on going!

FlyForFun

PART TWO - HUMPBACKS IN MAUI

I had to work really hard for three days to catch up for the day and one-half that I had missed for my trip to Paris and to get ahead since I would be away from work for eight whole days. In my twenty years of working for my current employer, I have rarely been able to take off an entire week. I volunteered to come to work on Friday morning since my flight did not depart until 11:30, but was told that was not necessary.

One of the first things that I did on Monday evening after returning home from Paris was to check with AA regarding our sticker upgrades from DFW to OGG (Maui). I looked at the seating chart while in Paris and watched the first class cabin on AA flight 7 fill-up; however, two seats remained and we only needed two seats. I am aware that the seating charts are not always a reliable indicator but I was hopeful. I was hopeful all day Tuesday, all day Wednesday, and all day Thursday but alas our upgrades had not cleared. Very early on Friday morning our upgrades cleared for our flight from OGG to LAX on Monday, February 22, 2010; these cleared at the 100 hour mark. A couple of hours later that morning, our upgrades cleared. We were not sitting together but at least we were sitting in first class!

On Thursday I was about to depart for work so I searched for my garage door opener to close the door. I must not have been totally-awake because I rammed my ribcage into my emergency brake release while trying to reach inside my glove compartment. I must have bruised my ribs because it really hurt. I was still in pain on Friday morning when I went to my mother's house to pick her up and we left around 9:00 for DFW. Our flight was scheduled to depart at 11:30 from Terminal D. We parked in the south remote parking lot at DFW since we were going to be gone for almost twelve days. Our shuttle driver dropped us off at Terminal D and we used AA's Priority Access kiosk to check-in again since we were actually checking bags and we almost never check bags. Security was a snap since we had just one carry-on each and since my mother knew better than to carry potatoes to Maui. I did carry-on my portable DVD player and camcorder. We proceeded to the gate and waited patiently for departure time.

When boarding for first class was announced, we leisurely strolled to the Priority Access line and waited for the people in front of us to board. We had one couple on board who apparently did not believe that any of us standing in line were first class. They went around the line and marched up to the gate agent by the boarding class scanner and handed her their boarding passes. We were amused by their bravado - after all we were going to Maui so why get upset. I told my mother that sitting next to her was not a priority and that I was not going to ask anyone to switch seats; if she wanted to sit next to me then she could ask; I have read too many posts about the evils of seat-switching. We boarded the plane and took our seats and did not switch. She was sitting near a man who was her age and I was sitting near a man who was my age; since we are both single now, who knew what might happen. My seatmate was actually interesting, funny, attractive, and married. Her seatman was boring, hogged her armrest, and silent except for clearing his throat. I had two glasses of champagne before take-off but they were only half-full.

Our flight departed on time, drink orders were taken, and menus were distributed. Since I was sitting towards the back of the first class cabin, I was glad that FEBO was honored so that I could get my entree choice. My seatmate was unaware of FEBO so I tried to educate him about some of the nuances of flying. He was Platinum on AA, had a full-fare first class ticket to Maui, and was excited about being close to the 2,000,000 threshhold so that he could be Platinum for life on AA. He expressed his disappointment that the seat next to him had not stayed vacant. He too had been monitoring the seating chart. I told him that as far as I could tell only my mother and I had been upgraded and we were both Executive Platinum.

After take-off, I switched to diet coke and he switched to beer. Since I had flown to and from Maui in January 2010 (I flew on January 1, 2010 in my quest to re-qualify for Executive Platinum), I knew that I was responsible for my own entertainment and I brought my cheap and portable DVD player, power cord, DVDs, MP3 player, noise-cancelling headphones, books, sudoku puzzles, and crossword puzzles.

The menu for the flight was:

To Start: Tropical mixed nuts

Salad: Fresh seasonal greens with asparagus and daikon radish, offered with Greek vinaigrette or Spicy Asian dressing

Main Course: Haleiwa Grilled Steak or Ravioli with Tomato Cream Sauce

Haleiwa Grilled Steak - grilled beef fillet marinated with Haleiwa barbecue sauce served with shi*take mushroom cream sauce and kapakahi mashed potatoes.

Ravioli with Tomato Cream Sauce - ravioli filled with four cheese complemented by a tomato cream sauce

King's Hawaiian rolls were featured on the flight and cheese bread was also offered.

Dessert: Ice cream sundae - vanilla ice cream with a choice of hot fudge, strawberry or sweet coffee toppings, whipped cream and chopped walnuts
or
Fruit and cheese

Prior to Arrival
A sampling of fresh fruit and cheeses

I had the tropical mixed nuts with dried fruit and macadamia nuts, the salad with the spicy Asian dressing, the ravioli, cheese bread, hot fudge sundae, and chardonnay. I skipped the fruit and cheese snack.

It was fun eavesdropping on people's conversations since everyone was excited about going to Maui. Most people were leisure travellers. My seatmate was attending a conference and playing golf. I told him that we had spent five days in Maui in January 2010 and had gone on three or four whale watches each day. He seemed intrigued by the idea of whale watching so I provided information on some of the better companies.

Our flight was a little late arriving in Maui. We had to collect our bags and that process took over thirty minutes; I called Ultimate Whale Watch to book a whale watch for the next day but they were full so we booked three trips for Sunday. After picking up our bags and wheeling them to the car rental pick-up, we proceeded to Hertz and got in our big white Malibu. We then drove towards Lahaina; I did stop to purchase a diet coke.

We had rented a cottage through VRBO and had directions and the code. Lahaina is not that large of a place so I did not think we would have any problems finding it. A miracle occurred - we drove straight to the cottage. I am navagationally-challenged and have gotten lost in my own neighborhood so I was truly stunned. The cottage was actually a duplex. The link is:www.surfingrealty.com/545efront/index.htm if anyone is interested; it is for sale at an asking price of $649,000. It has two bedrooms, a bathroom with tub and shower, full kitchen living room with cable television, and a small backyard. The cottage was a one-minute walk to the beach and had covered parking. It was advertised to have a washer and dryer and it did - they just were not operational.

We retired early that evening since we wanted to minimize the time change effects and wanted to get up early the next morning. I had a difficult time sleeping because my ribs were still hurting.

Saturday - Whale Watching with a Flight Crew

We awoke early and went to Lahaina Harbor in search of a whale watching excursion. Ultimate Whale Watch is my favorite boat and Captain Eric is my favorite captain. He is called the whale whisperer and he delivers. He is also a professional photographer. The website for Ultimate is www.ultimatewhalewatch.com. If you scroll down to the Photography section, there is a link for Eric Olbrich. If you want to see a photo of my mother and me whale watching, then go to Eric's 2008 whale photos and we are featured on the February 10, 2008 series of photos. I am in pink perched on the side of the boat. My mother has her back to the camera.

I could post my photos for this trip but they really are not that great so I am using other people's photos when possible. Be sure to check out Eric's photos for 2010. They really do represent a fairly typical whale watch with him. You will see whales and probably will see breaches, pec slaps, comp pods, and babies. Eric has also posted a video to YouTube where he demonstrates the different behaviors of a humpback whale. The video is available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqPygKnzRtc

There were no no-shows on the first whale watch on the Wiki Wahine so we looked for other possibilities. I will only go on large boats if there are no other possible options. I really prefer zodiacs and rubber rafts because fewer people are allowed and we all know what an elitist snob I am. Also just look at Eric's photos and you will see why going on a smaller boat is better - you get so much closer to the whales and they love his boat. We found a whale watch that was leaving at 7:00 and only cost $35 so we booked it. As we waited for departure time, a group of people joined us. They seemed to know each other and were quite attractive and friendly. Speaking of quite attractive and friendly - Captain Ryan was our skipper. Whereas Captain Eric is the whale whisperer, Ryan is just HOT! He is tall, tanned, and has a long blond ponytail - if I were only twenty years younger. After boarding we discovered that the other passengers were a flight crew from a US airline. They told us that they flew the route to Maui as often as possible and spent their free morning whale watching. We had all of the flight attendants, the captain, and the navigator on board - needless to say the trip was a blast. Ryan even took off his shirt. We saw lots of humpbacks but nothing truly specatacular. Since it is illegal to approach a humpback whale and big fines are issued, we had to stay 100 yards from the whales. One of the standard jokes that you hear on a whale watch is that the whales do not know about the law. We had some approach our boat so we saw them up close. Ryan did hold some of the flight attendants by the ankles while they stuck their heads underwater to see the whales. We saw the beginnings of a competition pod where males fight to gain the favor of the female. I am a pacifist and semi-vegetarian but I love to watch male humpbacks beat the stuffings out of each other in pursuit of the affections of a female. A great time was had by all. Ryan was booked up for the rest of the day but we found another boat and booked two trips for later that day.

After the whale watch, we returned to the cottage (it was a five minute walk to the harbor), cleaned up a bit and went grocery shopping at Safeway. We ate brunch and then got ready for our other whale watching adventures. I really need to find a hobby better-suited for my physical limitations. I can barely swim, am allergic to the sun, have roseacea, and am prone to seasickness. I take dramamine before every whale watch; carry crackers with me; wear long-sleeve shirts, cotton pants, and a hat; coat all exposed skin with 80 SPF sun-block with mexoryl; try not to be out in the middle of the day; and pray that I do not fall out of the boat.

We then took two two-hour whale watching trips with Maui Ocean Adventures. We had extremely close encounters with a cute little baby whale; a baby whale is only about 15 feet long as opposed to its mother who may be 40 to 45 feet long. The baby swam under our boat so we got great views of it, the mother, and her boy friend. After hundreds of whale watches over the past fifteen years, we finally had someone fall overboard and it was not me. A man was hanging over the side and lost his balance and fell in. I was so busy watching the whales on my side of the boat that I did not realize what happened until later when I noticed a totally-soaked man on board.

After spending six hours on whale watching boats, we were tired and retired to our cottage. The back yard was lovely with benches, flowering shrubs, and a small fountain.

Sunday - Whale Watching with Eric

Captain Eric was not feeling well when we joined him for his early morning whale watch. Even though he had a bad cough, the whales were still attracted to him and to the Wiki Wahine. We started off slowly by watching a mother and calf. Then we located a great competition pod with about seven males chasing the female. This comp pod displayed extremely unusual behavior. The female was breaching, the primary escort was doing massive head lunges, and the other males were huffing and slapping. Usually the only time you see a breach in a comp pod is when a male is joining the group or leaving. The females do not often breach when they are being chased. A breach is when the whale jumps out of the ocean, rotates the body, and re-enters the ocean on her back. A head lunge looks like a breach except that only the head and or upper third of the body comes out of the water. Both behaviors result in big splashes. After the whale watch, we returned to the cottage for brunch.

After brunch, I went whale watching with Ryan while my mother rested. Ryan removed his shirt. I think we saw whales. Ryan left his shirt off. Ryan applied sun block.

My mother joined me for two more whale watches with the Wiki Wahine. Captain Eric's cough had gotten worse so we had the same captain that we had been with the day before on Maui Ocean Adventures. We saw tons of whales with lots of whale behaviors: breaches, pec slaps, peduncle throws, tail slaps, and close encounters. About the only part of the whale that you do not want to see is the tail or fluke. When the whale shows its tail, then it is diving deep and will stay below for ten, twenty, thirty minutes or more. You want to see shallow dives and splishy splashy whales. Baby whales are great too because their mothers are teaching them whale behaviors and getting them strong for the long swim to Alaska. It is too cute to watch a baby practice and perfect its breaching technique - especially if the mother and/or boyfriend demonstrate the proper way to breach. While whale watching, we saw the Center for Whale Studies boat. They have been studying humpbacks in Hawaii for over 35 years and are some of the most dedicated researchers. They accept donations and also sell videos. The smaller whale watching companies like Ultimate Whale Watch dedicate a portion of their whale watching fees to the Center for Whale Studies. The really big and famous whale watching company (that will not be named) in Maui does NO whale research in Maui; their research is conducted in Australia and in Ecuador.

Monday - Our Last Day in Maui

We had booked three whale watches with Ultimate Whale Watch for Monday. Eventhough their advertised price of $49 is a lot more than some of the other companies, they offer great discounts for repeat customers. We had to leave our cottage by 11:00 so we drove towards Kahana and whale watched from the shore. We stored our bags in the trunk of the car and parked in an expensive but secure lot in Lahaina. Our last whale watch of the day ranked in our top twenty-five out of hundreds of whale watches. We had a very curious calf who swam up to and under our boat many times. He also demonstrated his tail slapping ability. As the sun slowly set behind the island of Lanai, our bouncing baby breached and/or head slapped 54 times in 8 minutes. We just parked the boat, cranked-up Bob Marley, hit the record button on the camcorder, and experienced pure bliss. At one point the mother did pec slaps (slapped her 15 foot long pectoral fin on the water) while the baby breached. Then the mother, calf, and boyfriend all pec slapped in unison a few minutes. Just as the sky was turning the most-luscious shades of pink and yellow, the boyfriend breached fifteen feet from the boat in incredibly slow motion. It was a magical moment and just the right way to end our whale watching in Maui.

After making a pit stop, we made it to the car by 19:30, made sure that our bags were still there, and drove towards the airport in the dark. We stopped to refuel the tank and then returned the car to Hertz. We tried to clean-up a bit before entering the terminal by changing clothes, removing sun block, and applying deodorant. We had to get our bags screened by USDA before checking in. We checked our bags (with our dirty clothes and liquids) to San Diego, got our boarding passes, and went through security. Security was a mess and OMG there was not a priority line. We waited near the gate for our AA flight to LAX. Scheduled departure time was 22:45. I managed to stay awake until boarding time. We had seats in the last row of first class on a 757. We were served drinks and the tropical nut mixture. The snack was coconut curry soup with chunks of chicken, rolls with butter, and a macadamia nut cookie. There may have been more food, but I was exhausted.

mjcewl1284

I have enjoyed reading your TR!

FlyForFun

PART THREE - PANDAS IN SAN DIEGO - OH MY

When Part Two of this trip report ended, our two travellers were sleeping in their first class seats on their way from Maui to LAX on American Airlines. Flight 14 was scheduled to land at Los Angeles at 5:50 in the morning. We were awoken by the Captain's announcement to the flight attendants to prepare for arrival. We landed on time (as well as I can remember) and taxied to the gate. We were two of the last first class passengers to disembark. We stopped at the nearest public facilities to freshen up since we are not members of the Admirals Club and we were not flying internationally. Also we only had about forty minutes between flights and we had to transfer to the American Eagle terminal.

I have not flown on American Eagle in over ten years. I had read posts on FlyerTalk about special benefits for elite passengers on American Eagle so I was almost looking forward to getting something special in the air. We made it to the gate with plenty of time to spare so I suppose I could have spent more time in the ladies room trying to style my flattened hair and could have applied some much needed make-up. We had seats 3A and 4A on American Eagle flight 3025. Our flight to San Diego left at 6:30 AM with about one-half of the seats occupied. We receved absolutely nothing to eat or drink and no pillow. Oh well, the flight was less than an hour with only about twenty-five minutes actually in the air. We flew down the coast and had an amazingly clear view. I had my nose pressed against the window the entire time. I even looked for whale blows but did not see any. We landed at the Commuter Terminal at San Diego at 7:25 AM and disembarked the plane. We waited only a few minutes for our bags. We then tried to freshen up even more but quickly realized that it was useless; I was just going to look icky all day.

Since we only had one full day in San Diego, we had explored many options for getting to our hotel and for visiting the zoo. We had the option of staying at the official hotel for our group - the Courtyard by Marriott on Hotel Circle but the discounted rate was over $100 with tax and the hotel did not have a complimentary airport shuttle. We had initially reserved a car with Hertz but the daily rate was also close to $100 with all the fees and taxes. I discovered that the Days Inn was adjacent to the Marriott and the rate was $60 and the hotel had a complimentary airport shuttle. I also found a special rate for a mid-size SUV with Dollar; the rate was $39 for one day. We decided to rent the SUV from Dollar, store our bags in the vehicle, drive it all day, check-in the hotel, return the car that evening, and take advantage of the free shuttle.

We had to wait for about half an hour to catch the Dollar shuttle. When we were dropped off at the office, two "gentlemen" pushed past us and ran up to the counter. We stopped to tip the driver. We waited for them to decide what kind of vehicle they wanted and yada yada yada. After another twenty minutes, it was finally my turn. I forgot that I had joined Dollar's free frequent renter program and did not have to stand in line. We received our SUV after about thirty seconds, piled our bags in the back where they were prominantly on display, and followed the Dollar clerk's directions to the Zoo. After driving for ten minutes, we realized that we were heading towards Los Angeles and not toward the Zoo. We exited the freeway and headed south. We arrived at the Zoo only fifteen minutes or so after it had opened. We have a Family Zoo membership because it costs less than four admissions to the Zoo and includes four guest passes that anyone can use. We entered the Zoo with our passes and identification and headed towards Panda Canyon!

On August 5, 2009, Bai Yun gave birth to her fifth cub, Yun Zi. Yun Zi had gone on exhibit in the public viewing area just a week or so before our visit. Fans had been able to see him on a limited basis for only a month or so; we were expecting big crowds even though it was a Tuesday morning. There were no crowds for Su Lin, Bai Yun, and Yun Zi when we first arrived. Su Lin is the older sister of Yun Zi and Bai Yun's third cub. Su Lin wa experiencing the beginnings of her first real estrus and was a tad cranky. Bai Yun and Yun Zi were sitting patiently waiting for us to arrive. Yun Zi was sitting in his mother's lap. Since Yun Zi tends to sleep twenty-three hours or so a day and usually sleeps in his hammock in a tree, we were thrilled to see him awake and near the ground. Since I have not had any success in inserting photos, I'll post a link to the San Diego Zoo's pandacam; you can watch Yun Zi's antics live at http://www.sandiegozoo.org/pandacam/index.html

We watched Bai Yun, Yun Zi, and Su Lin for about thirty minutes and took lots of photos and videotaped the three of them. As the crowd started getting bigger, we were encouraged to leave the panda viewing area and to return later. Once Yun Zi went to sleep, we went in search of diet coke. I finally found a bottled diet coke and chugged it down. We visited the other exhibits and were a tad miffed that the polar bear exhibit was being renovated and the bears were not on view. We did see the koalas, hippos, elephants, lions, tigers, and bears. We returned at various times during the day to see what Yun Zi was doing and were rewarded with cute poses and other activity.

We dined at the Zoo on our sandwiches that we had prepared for the previous afternoon. I purchased another diet coke with free refills; it was going to be a long day and I had very little sleep.

We left the Zoo around 16:00 and drove straight to the hotel. Check-in was not allowed until after 16:00. We were most relieved to discover that googlemaps were accurate; the Days Inn was adjacent to the Marriott. We checked in, asked about the shuttle, and got directions to Target. Our room was OK; it had two queen beds, a refrigerator, microwave, and a nice bathroom.

We drove to Target since there were some items that I needed for our trip to Mexico the next morning. Since our washer and dryer at our Maui cottage did not work, I needed another pair of sweat pants and a couple of tee shirts for sleeping. I also bought shampoo and conditioner, snacks, and two six packs of bottled diet coke. For dinner, we purchased frozen dinners.

We returned the car to Dollar, caught the shuttle to the airport, called the hotel for them to send the shuttle to pick us up, and waited. After about twenty minutes our shuttle arrived and we climbed aboard with our matching luggage of Target shopping bags. At the hotel, we heated our dinners, dined, watched American Idol, and repacked our bags for our next adventure. We set the alarm for 6:00 to make sure that we could make it to the Marriott for our 8:15 pick-up.

FlyForFun

PART FOUR - WHALE WATCHING IN BAJA - WE TOUCHED THE WHALES!!!!!!

As a teaser for this part of the trip report, I'll post a link to an approximately ten minute video that one of our fellow whale fanatics posted on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DViWhHbM_Pc

I'll have to continue later...

FlyForFun

Ok I keep trying to insert photos but lack the skill. I'll keep researching and trying. I thought that if I could have a big photo of me petting a whale it might elicit some comments or encourgage people to read this report. Trust me folks - this part of the trip is the best.

PART FOUR CONTINUED

I should preface this part of the trip by stating that I am an intelligent (I've been on Jeopardy!), logical, and basically sensible person. I would never approach a strange dog (even it was on a leash and had a most attractive owner) and attempt to pet it. When I go to Yellowstone National Park, I do not approach the wild animals. So why on earth have I not only travelled to a remote part of Baja California two times in the past two years, but also extended a good portion of my body over the side of a small panga while screaming for a 45-foot long, 80,000 pound wild animal to come to me so that I can pet it? Back in the whaling days of yore, the gray whales were affectionately known as "Devil Fish" for a very good reason - they fought the whalers, bashed their boats, and even killed the harpoon-holding heathens. Nowadays, the gray whales approach the little boats and seek affection from the crazy whale-lovers! I have no reasonable explanation of my complete lack of fear and total trust of these huge animals. All I can say is that it is one of the most amazingly incredible experiences I have ever had (and I have certainly not led a boring, chaste, or non-experimental life if you know what I mean).

When I was a child, I loved to read. I still read over one-hundred novels a year. My BA is in English. One of my favorite books was The Whales Go By by Fred Phleger. I even have a copy in my office. The book was published in 1959 and chronicles a year in the life of a female gray whale. She begins her tale in the Bering Sea off Alaska and travels to Baja Mexico where she pops out a calf. Used copies are available on Amazon.com for as little as $0.01 plus shipping; if you have children, order a copy NOW!

Since the 1950s when the book was written, the gray whales that travel to the lagoons of Mexico have exhibited extremely unusual behavior. In the late 1960s, a fisherman named Francisco (who is still alive today) was fishing in San Ignacio Lagoon (located approximately 500 miles south of San Diego, California and 500 miles north of Cabo). Francisco had observed the whales over the years but there had been no history of interaction with humans. On that magical day, while fishing in his panga (small wooden boat), a gray whale approached Francisco. He was a bit concerened because the whale was over 40 feet long and capable of tipping over the boat. While Francisco and the whale observed each other, the whale made the first move and stayed next to the boat. Francisco eventually reached over and petted the curious whale. The relationship continued and more whales began approaching the fishermen.

The gray whales migrate from their feeding grounds in the Bering Sea to the lagoons in Mexico to give birth and to mate. There is no food for the whales while they are in Mexico; they are seasonal anorexics. They migrate by following the coast from the waters of Alaska to the lagoons of Baja California. The gray whales can easily be observed from the shore and from boats while they are migrating. The lagoons provide warm, protected waters that are relatively free from predators like the orcas. Baby whales have a chance to grow big and strong in a sheltered environment so that they can make the trip to Alaska with their mothers. The lagoons also serve as mating grounds for the whales so frisky males are willing to go without food for the chance to mate. A bit of trivia that I learned is that the gray whale's "member" is affectionately known as "Pink Floyd" and can be as long as ten feet. Since whale bodies need to be streamlined for swimming, "Pink Floyd" is usually tucked away.

Back to the story - I get sidetracked and for some reason the song "Wish You Were Here" by none other than Pink Floyd keeps going through my mind. In the 1970s (about the time that Pink Floyd issued "Dark Side of the Moon"), Francisco the fisherman began taking people out in his panga to meet the whales. One of his more famous passengers was Christopher Reeve who made a documentary of his adventures following the gray whales from Alaska to Mexico; shortly after filming was completed, Mr. Reeve had his most unfortunate riding accident.

The three main lagoons where hundreds of whales travel to each year (Ojo de Liebre, San Ignacio, and Bahia Magdalena) have been established as national parks and whale watching is very strictly-regulated.

FlyForFun

Sorry but I had to stop and work for a few minutes.

For about the past ten years, I've read about people who traveled to Mexico to see the gray whales. It was something that I really wanted to experience but seemed rather difficult and expensive to do. One option is to travel from Cabo to Bahia Magdalena on a day trip at a cost of several hundred dollars depending on whether one takes a van or a private plane; these trips typically include just one whale watching experience and the whales are not always friendly. Another option is to travel from San Diego by car, van, bus, or private plane and spend time at either San Ignacio Lagoon or Ojo de Liebre (near Guerrero Negro). The private plane option costs over $3,000 for a four or five day trip and usually involves staying in tents on the beach at San Ignacio Lagoon.

I finally discovered that the Scripps Institution of Oceanography offers whale watching adventures to Mexico at a very reasonable cost (less than $1,000 for an all-inclusive six day five night trip with accomodations in hotels with flush toilets and cable tv). They offer a variety of excursions through a San Diego tour company, Andiamo Tours. All of the whale watching tours have a naturalist to provide educational and informative information (and sometimes beer and shots of tequila). Their website is: www.andiamo-travel.com

I contacted Andiamo in November 2007 to ask about possible trips. The only trip that fit my schedule was a semi-private tour arranged by a group of people who volunteered as whale naturalists in the Channel Islands, whale researchers, and even a whale boat captain. They had some empty spots to fill so they allowed us to join their group. We went on our first gray whale watching safari in March of 2008. All I can say is that the trip was unbelievable. We had three whale encounters and we all got to touch the whales. At least five of the people were professional photographers so we have the most amazing pictures from the trip.

Two of the participants set up websites about our trip. The links are provided below:
http://scottcuzzo.com/baja/

and http://www.ezphotography.net/eric/baja_08/index.html

In Scott's group of photos, I am in shots 2 and 11 of the people pictures.

Another trip was organized for March 2009 but I was not able to go at that time. My excuse was that AA had a great fare sale and I had purchased six tickets to Europe for February, March, and April so I was flying across the Atlantic every two or three weeks.

The group scheduled a trip for 2010 but work commitments prevented me from going during that week. That trip was tailored for the whale fanatics and included four whale watching events in two of the lagoons. After that trip sold out, a second trip was organized and my work schedule allowed me to go. As stated much earlier in the rambling report, I figured out how to fly from DFW to SAN (San Diego) via Maui for just a few dollars more. So finally I am ready to start the portion of the trip report that details our adventures to Mexico with thirty-five strangers.

If my number of views tops 700, I'll continue this report tomorrow. If no one is interested, then I'll continue anyway probably.

caligirlatheart

Loving your trip report! Can't wait for the Baja report.

We used to go on whale-watching trips when I was in school to see the gray whale migration along the California coast. It was wonderful.

Non-NonRev

thanks for a very enjoyable report. You have a real knack of bringing the reader into your enjoyment of your activities - it's infectious (in a very pleasant way). ^

FlyForFun

OK - it is Friday afternoon and I hope to finish this trip report. I am so thrilled that I finally received some positive comments; thank you! I am also excited that the report has been viewed almost 800 times now.

It seems like I am always explaining things way too much but here I go again. I am NOT a group travel type of person. I usually travel with one or at most three other people and am content to travel alone. My preferred method of travelling is on a plane; I have become incredibly spoiled so if I am not in first class, business class, or the exit row in coach on a plane - I tend to get cranky. As some of you may have noticed, I am a very finicky eater and drinker. So what on earth was I thinking by booking a trip by bus (it was described as a luxury bus but to me a luxury bus would have Louis Vuitton seats, Marc Chagall windows, lots of leg room, cashmere blankets, down pillows, unlimited champagne, chocolates, and other necessities of life) to travel approximately 1,000 miles round-trip over six days and five nights and to spend it with 35 strangers.

Our first trip to the lagoons in Baja was really eye-opening: the other participants were witty, intelligent, kind, considerate, and just a tad crazy about whales. The ages ranged from mid-twenties to 80. Everyone got along; there was no complaining and very little whining (mainly from me). I discovered that group travel could be OK so I was willing to try it again.

Day One - Wednesday, February 24, 2010

After checking out of the relatively-inexpensive Days Hotel (I noticed the "Inn" was missing from the name) on Hotel Circle in San Diego, my mother and I wheeled our bags down the hill, to the street, across the street, through the Courtyard by Marriott parking lot, and up to the entrance. There was not a big group of people congregating outside. It was only 7:45 and we were scheduled to depart at 8:15 from the parking lot. After I entered the lobby (much nicer than the Days Hotel) and looked for a group, I still did not see a group of people who looked like they were ready to head south for adventure. I finally asked at the front desk and was told that the group was waiting in the parking area at the back of the hotel. After using the facilities, we trudged outside and scaled the hill that encompassed the rear parking area. I would have shouted "Bingo!" when I located the group but there is an old joke that women over 60 might be incited to riot when that phrase is muttered so I said nothing. We approached the group and recognized no one. I asked if this was the whale group and received an affirmative. So we joined the circle of people and their bags and waited. Approximately twenty-five of the thirty-six member group belonged to a San Diego hiking club and most were couples. I'll just say that hikers are not nearly as much fun as whale people.

Eventually our tour leader and her assistant showed up at around 9:00. Our "luxury bus" appeared a few minutes later with our driver. We were told to get on the bus and take any seat while our bags were being stowed. We ended up at the back of the bus near the toilet. The bus on our 2008 trip had a toilet but it was used only one time and on the last day when one of the participants cut his finger and retrieved toilet paper to wrap around his wound.

I suppose now is the time for me to explain another one of my idiosynchrocies - I have toilet issues. When I was a contestant on Jeopardy! my topic of interest that I discussed with Alex Trebek was that I knew the location of every flush toilet in Yellowstone National Park. I really do not like to use non-flush toilets. Since I fly so much, toilets on airplanes are tolerated and I am proud to say that they are usually cleaner after I leave them. Now I was stuck in the back of a bus for many hours and was next to the toilet. I was also going to be spending six days and five nights in an area where paper could not be flushed down a toilet - not even in hotel toilets. All paper was supposed to be placed in the trash can next to the toilet.

We made one stop to pick up our last passenger. Usually the trips leave from a parking lot near the San Diego Airport; this trip left from the Marriott because they offered free parking. Our last tour member was quite relieved to see us since we were about an hour late. We then headed towards the border. The audio system on our bus was not operating properly so we heard shrill feedback about as often as we heard our guide. I do have to say that our guide was outstanding. She worked as a guide so that she could devote the rest of her time towards her art; she was a very talented artist. She was brilliant, informative, funny, and extremely attractive. She was assisted by her helper who was also her friend from childhood; her assistant was also gorgeous, kind, and gracious. I got the impression that some of the hiking wives were not that pleased that we had two gorgeous women that their husbands would be adoring for the next six days. I looked around the bus and had noticed that there was one single man who was approximately my age but I do not subscribe to the "Three Coins in a Fountain" or "If It Is Tuesday, It Must Be Belgium" fantasy about meeting the man of my dreams on a trip. I have travelled throughout the world and flown over 2,000,000 miles so I knew that romance was not on this itinerary.

As we neared the border, our guide explained about the forms that we had to present with our passports and asked everyone to get their passports ready. Uh oh, one of our passengers could not find her passport. We pulled off the interstate and waited. She called the hotel and asked if her passport was there and then she then asked them to search her room. She received two negative responses. Then she decided that she must have left her passport in her suitcase. We continued to the border. We all had to exit the bus, collect our forms, complete our forms, collect our bags, and walk across the border. We then gave our bags to our driver and re-boarded our luxury bus. Everyone (all of the passengers including the one who was missing her passport earlier - hmmmm) got on board and we drove through Tijuana towards Ensenada. We were offered sweet bread (actual sugary bread and not animal organs) to tide us over until lunch. We were told that our first stop would be for lunch in Ensenada and lunch orders were taken. Our choices were shredded beef, shredded lamb, shredded goat, or cheese quesadillas. We then discovered that we were on a bus of carnivores. All but three people selected the red meat dishes. My mother and I selected the quesadillas; I opted for them because I have not eaten meat since 1980 (I will eat chicken and fish); my mother remembered how bad the shredded meat dish was from two years ago.

The scenery along the coast was gorgeous and I had made certain that we had seats on the ocean side of the bus. We arrived at the restaurant in Ensenada and were some of the last people off the bus. While we waited in the really long line to use the toilets, everyone else staked out their seating claims. Only two seats were left at the table and they were really far apart. Since I had practically been attached to my mother for the last week, I truly was thrilled that I did not have to sit next to her; I was disappointed that I would not be able to get her beverage. Beer, soft drinks, and hibiscus water were the beverages offered. I had a cold beer wth my quesadillas and was a most happy diner. I met some of the other ladies who were travelling without a spouse and enjoyed the conversation. My mother surprised me by not only getting a beer but by drinking it - her first beer ever!

After lunch I ran to the toilet to beat the crowd and then we stood outside and waited for everyone else to use the facilities and to board the bus. I was wishing that I had time to run to a farmacia and purchase valium but had to make do with beer. We continued down the highway until we reached San Vicente where we stopped to visit a small community museum and to use the facilities. The museum featured a skull from a mammoth, bridal gowns, sewing machines, and lots of photos. We noticed the unusual displaying of ropes that were in some of the wedding photos and on one of the wedding gowns. We were told that the knotted rope signified "tying the knot." The town had a lovely church, a school, a huge police station, and lots of mud. I mention the mud only because it was so unusual. In the fall of 2009 a hurricane had hit the coast of Baja and the amount of rainfall in late 2009 and early 2010 had been most atypical. One of the hiker ladies had brought platters of home-made chocolate chip cookies and brownies; these tasty treats were passed around as we continued our drive down the Baja Peninsula.

The rains and the subsequent mud had actually damaged three of the bridges on the highway. Our luxury bus had to detour down gravel inclines in an area where the bridge had lost a portion of its middle. The rains had also caused more flora to bloom.

As the sun was slowly sinking in the west, we neared our hotel. We were hoping to get there before the sunset because I am a sucker for a gorgeous sunset. Our hotel was the only one that we would be staying at that was actually on the beach and I wanted to view the sun sinking into the Pacific while standing on the white sands outside of the hotel. We arrived moments before the sunset, were some of the last off the bus, grabbed our room key, and ran outside on the brown beach and enjoyed the setting sun.

Our hotel was the Mision Santa Maria Hotel (formerly the Desert Inn - San Quintin). As I stated earlier, it is on the beach - a beach that had been transformed from white dunes to brownish dunes by the hurricane. It was still on the beach. Our room had two double beds, a lovely bathroom with a huge shower, a television, and a sitting area.

As soon as the sun had set, we went inside the hotel for our complimentary margarita. We sipped our margaritas, made small talk, and nibbled on some cashews. After our drinks were finished and people started leaving, we went back to our room. Another feature that our room had was a heater. It was quite chilly after the sun set. We dined on soup, crackers, and diet coke in the room. We watched television and went to sleep really early.

FlyForFun

DAY TWO - Thursday, February 25, 2010 San Quintin to Guerrero Negro

I forgot to mention that as our busload of semi-happy travelers (chocolate helps) continued south towards San Quintin (no Johnny Cash sightings were reported), we were each given a woven bag that contained a booklet about the Baja California Peninsula, a set of meal coupons, a detailed schedule for each day, and a booklet of puzzles and quizzes. Bottles of water were also distributed. We were also asked to make our breakfast selections for the next morning and told to bring our breakfast coupon with our marked selection with us to breakfast. Breakfast was scheduled from 7:00 to 8:00.

We were instructed to have our bags outside of our door no later than 7:30 for pick up and that we would leave at 8:00. I am not a morning person and I could not imagine spending an entire hour sitting at a table eating my fruit plate. So after I was ready and my bag was outside, we went outside to view the ocean in the morning light; very few people were outside. We went to the breakfast area around 7:30 and found a room full of people. I received my yummy fruit plate with bananas, oranges, kiwi, and papaya as well as fresh orange juice. My mother had scrambled eggs, ham, tortillas, and coffee. After breakfast we stopped in the room to add more paper to the trash can and then went to board the bus. After we were on our merry way, we were told that the Governor of Baja California and his family had stayed at our hotel that night. He and his entourage were in one wing and our group was in the other.

I forgot to mention that the day before we had each received a whale name tag that we were supposed to wear around our necks. On the back of the whale, there was a number that would correspond to our assigned seat on the luxury bus the next day. We would change seats every day. When we boarded the bus and looked for our seats - we were again in the back by the toilet. The people in front of us were the cookie ladies and the men across from us were the two eligible men. My whale number was 17; for some reason, this number assignment caused me to sing "I am Sixteen Going on Seventeen" from the [U]Sound of Music[U].

The man that I had noticed the previous day as being age appropriate for me appeared to be quite interesting. He spoke of his travels and seemed to be quite knowledgeable. I almost shared the wonders of FlyerTalk with him but hesitated - probably a good move on my part.

Our second day on the luxury bus was dedicated to admire the wonders of the desert. To quote our booklets: "The mountainous peninsula is covered by innumerable species of flora, many of which are endemic. A large part of the drive crosses Reserva Valle de los Cirios (Valley of the Boo Jum Tree Reserve) established mainly to protect the unique tree. At Parallel 28, the state of Baja California Sur begins with the city of Guerro Negro."

Since we were sitting at the rear of the bus, about all that we could see was out of the sides of the vehicle. We began seeing boo jum trees; a boo jum tree looks a bit like an upside down carrot. The scenery was unbelievable because the rains earlier in 2010 had caused all sorts of vegetation to bloom. I kept my nose pressed to the window just gobsmacked by the colors, varieties, and textures of the plants and the desert landscape.

If you look at a road map of the Baja Peninsula, you may notice that there are not a lot of roads, towns, or really anything. There are military check points where every vehicle has to stop for inspection. The extremely-young looking soldiers who were carrying big guns usually just came on board and looked us over and then let us proceed. We did see vehicles that were being scrutinized and searched; most had California license plates.

The highway is primarily two lanes and weaves through the desert and mountains. It is dotted with small villages, gas stations, and motels. When the highway was constructed, the Mexican government had built hotels along the highway. Originally they were the Pima hotel brand; the chain was changed to Desert Inn. Our group stayed at these hotels throughout our journey.

We had one stop in the morning at a semi-famous roadhouse in El Rosario. It is semi-famous because I cannot remember the name - I think it was Mama Rose's or something similar; I'll check and update. They did have flush toilets but are better known for being the place where the Flying Samaritans had been established. It is also a big stopping place for the motorcycle race that goes down the peninsula. I looked for Ewen McGregor and Charlie Boorman but they apparently were going another way round and did not involve Mexico or motorcycles - I did have a quick fantasy for a few moments.

While we were enjoying the scenery, our lunch orders were taken. We had four choices and I am sorry but I cannot remember what they were. I'll look at my notes and update.

We arrived at the Desert Inn Hotel in Catavina for our lunch break and for a walk in the desert. I had cheese enchiladas with red sauce and sliced avocados for my entree and they were delicious - cold but delicious. I also had a beer and sat next to my mother who gave me part of her beer. She had a beef enchilada, a taco, beans, and rice AKA a combination plate; her food was yummy but lukewarm.

During lunch, we were talking about travel and of course I had to tell everyone about flying 135,000 miles in 2009; I used the phrase "butt-in-seat" miles and just got blank looks. I mentioned that this excursion was part four of a celebration trip and that parts one and two were Paris and Maui and just received incredulous stares. Other people spoke about their travels and the same theme kept emerging - they had travelled as a part of a group almost always. I mentioned that we had travelled in China independently and received pitying looks like I must have missed out by not sharing everything with 30 other people.

After lunch, we explored the desert. One of the hikers was an expert of desert plants and shared his knowledge. I was thrilled to find out more about the cacti and other flora and thanked him for sharing his knowledge. My mother was attacked by a small cactus and rescued. All too soon, it was time to re-board the bus.

Later that afternoon cookies and brownies were distributed. We watched a documentary on Christopher Reeve's experience with the gray whales. It was especially poignant since his riding accident happened just after filming. He was able to pet the whales in San Ignacio Lagoon and even snorkled with the whales. Pink Floyd made a brief appearance in the video. Our guide and our naturalist cautioned people that the events portrayed in the video did not always happen. Our naturalist reiterated that she had only touched the whales on one of her six whale watching events.

We had to pass a more-stringent military check point when we passed the 28th Parallel and entered Baja California Sur; we also experienced a time change but honestly having gone from DFW to Paris to Dfw to Maui to San Diego to Baja California Sur in a week and a half, I was not affected by a one-hour change.

We arrived at our hotel for the night - the Desert Inn Guerrero Negro on the outskirts of the town of Guerrero Negro. We all placed our breakfast orders for the next morning. Dinner was not included so we were informed that unless we ate at the hotel's dining room, we would have to get a taxi and travel to town for dinner. We got our room key; our room was quite similar to the one in San Quintin but not quite as nice - also our television did not have a remote control so we had to get one from the front desk. After our welcome margarita, we returned to the room and crashed. I snacked for dinner on some cookies from Maui and crackers from San Diego.

FlyForFun

DAY THREE, Friday, February 25, 2010 - Our First Gray Whale Encounter

I woke up in an extremely cranky mood. I think it was a combination of travelling, being on sort of good behavior around a bunch or strangers, spending two days sitting in the back of the bus, and the nervous apprehension of encountering the whales. What if I had gone through all of this and the whales were just as contrary in this lagoon as they had been last time? So many thoughts were racing through my head. On our trip in 2008, we visited two lagoons; our first encounter was in Laguna San Ignacio and it had been magical. The trip started out with a mother bringing her calf to a boat and lifting her calf out of the water and practically in the boat. It was not our boat but we were genuinely thrilled for the lucky ones who had that experience. Some of the people even kissed the baby whale. On our boat, we had amazing encounters with a mother and her calf. We were all able to pet them both for an extended period of time. After the experience, our group felt a special connection. We were still tingling from excitement the next day when we travelled to Ojo de Liebre AKA Scammons Lagoon for two more whale encounters. On both of those trips we saw whales; we saw them at distance; no whales would come near us.

I just knew that our first experience could not be duplicated and knew how disappointed I would be if once again the whales ignored us at Ojo de Liebre. My crankiness intensified when my bag was never picked up and I had to wheel it past everyone to the bus; I had placed it outside at 7:15. I overheard comments about how I apparently missed the deadline and even snickers. I knew that I had to find inner peace or else the whales would not come near me. Well apparantly whales like a sassy woman... more to come later.

We only had a ten minute or so drive to the whale tour headquarters and our excursion was not scheduled until 11:00 so we boarded the bus and headed to the marsh areas for bird watching. Once on the bus, we discovered that our seating assignment was now a whopping two rows closer to the front.

From the bus window, we saw osprey nests and yes those were the same birds that we saw at Yellowstone every year. They migrate from all over North America to this area of the peninsula. Since so many osprey had commandeered telephone and other utility poles for their nests and knocked out power and communications, special poles had been erected for the osprey to build their nests; they even had cute little addresses for the birds on the poles. There is an enormous salt marsh near the town of Guerrero Negro. I'll digress for a minute and explain how Guerrero Negro received its unusual name since most Mexican towns are named after a person or a saint.

Guerrero Negro means black warrior. The black warrior was an English or American whaling ship that travelled to the lagoons to hunt gray whales. The captain tried to enter one of the lagoons and was marooned by a sand bar. The ship was stuck. People referred to the area as the place of the Black Warrior or Guerrero Negro. Back in the whaling days, the whalers discovered how easy it was to hunt and to kill whales in the birthing and mating lagoons. The whales were almost hunted to extinction; in fact, the Atlantic variety of the gray whale is extinct. The Pacific gray whales fought the whalers and injured and even killed some of them during the hunting attempts. As stated in an earlier part of the report, the gray whale was nicknamed the "Devil Fish" because they fought back.

Guerrero Negro is now noted for several things: birds, salt, and whales. The whales and birds migrate and the salt is shipped to Japan and other places. The enormous salt marsh is home to birds that migrate from Russia, Canada, and the United States. Our bus did stop in the marshy area so that we could walk around and see the birds up close. We saw many varieties of heron, oystercatchers, pelicans, egrets, and willets. Thank goodness we had some birdwatching fanatics in the hiking group because they pointed out the different types of birds to us and provided a lot of fascinating tidbits of information. The pelicans were fascinating to me; I had seen many while in the Galapagos Islands and enjoyed seeing them here. After about ninety minutes of bird watching we boarded the bus and headed to the whale watching office to use the toilets and then boards our vans. Since we were still at the back of the bus, we were yet again the last ones in line for the facilities.

After using the toilet, we were assigned to vans that would transport us through the town of Guerrero Negro, past the salt ponds, and to the boat boarding area. Since many of the people who live in Guerrero Negro work for the salt company, it is like an old-fashioned company town in that the workers are provided housing and even grocery stores by the company.

Whale watching in Ojo de Liebre is a fairly new phenomenon. It has only been in the last ten or fifteen years that people were able to go out in the lagoons to see the whales. The process is very restricted. Only a certain number of boats are allowed in the lagoon at any given time; the areas of the lagoon are restricted; boats can only go in certain sections; boats can only stay in the lagoon for a specific period of time; only authorized boats with specific guides can go in the lagoon; boats cannot approach the whales.

We boarded our panga first. We went to the bow and staked out our territory. The other people on our panga were the woman who lost her passport, her friend, the single man, and a hiking couple. Apparently the boat driver/guide, my mother, and I were the only ones on our boat who had ever been whale watching. Our guide spoke very little English. We spoke perfect English but were completely ignored by our fellow passengers. They would speculate about what to do, what they were seeing, and how to react. We nicely tried to explain what we had learned on our previous trips and were totally ignored. When we were out in the lagoon and could see whales, I did what we did last time, I hung over the side of the panga, splashed water, and spoke with the whales to try to get them to come to our panga. Then we were not just ignored but deemed certifiably insane by our fellow passengers. They kept pointing out whales in the distance while my mother and I were dangling off the side of the boat and sounding like we were in a porn film. I had injured the right side of my ribcage the day before we flew to Maui; it was almost healed so what did I do - I smashed my left ribcage and breast into the side of the wooden boat while trying to entice the whales; this injury hurt even more than the other and my breathing became quite ragged. Ragged breathing and screaming things like "Come on Baby!" "Baby I Know You Want Me To Touch You" plus lots of squeals sounded like porn when I palyed back my videos.

Finally we were successful in getting two whales to come to the boat. They were two adults so perhaps my semi-pornographic cries were exciting them; it was mating season afterall. Finally, I touched a whale. I screamed and I cried; all of the tension left my body. I was at peace - at least for a few minutes. Then I watched the whales approach the others who expressed concern about tumping over the boat. I yelled at them to touch the whales yet they hesitated so I yelled again. On my video, I am heard yelling "TOUCH THE GD WHALE!!!" It did the trick; all of the people touched the whales and were transformed.

We had so much fun and we experienced it together. We watched the other boats and filmed each other touching, stroking, and petting these gentle, magnificent, and magical creatures. Mothers and babies visited us. We saw splashing and possible mating behavior in the distance. We even saw breaching whales. Gray whales are not known for their acrobatic behaviors like humpbacks. They do breach but are better known for spyhopping where the whale slowly extends its head and upper third of its body straight up out of the water. Our new friends called it "skyhopping" and we did not have the heart to correct them since who knew - maybe the whales were sky hopping.

We were even sprayed with whale blow and coughed fairly hard for the rest of the day - not so great when combined with banged-up ribs and a bruised boob (it was green, black, and purple). Only three people did not get to touch the whales on this trip and it was because they were hesitant and timid. As we were heading back to shore, we met a school of dolphins, then we encountered sea lions, and then osprey and other birds. All I could think about was that we had three more whale watches scheduled for this trip and even if we did not see another whale, I would be extremely happy and thankful for the experience that we shared today.

To be continued... and a preview: Can an earthquake in Chile really stop us from going into a lagoon in the Pacific; I've flown millions of miles and only puked once on a plane, how can I get motion sickness on a bus; and can a baby whale really deliver a rainbow do me?