The special of the day was a fried chicken family style with the typical southern comforts- collard greens, mashed potatoes, biscuits, and slaw...oh and carrot cake as dessert which we ended up forgetting to take home:(. My mom ordered the special knowing we'd probably take 1/2 her food, my brother got the double cut lamb chop, and I got a salad with grilled snapper. (I know, I know, but I haven't been eating my usual truckload of vegetables and this is a FARM so...).As always, the dishes were full of freshly grown and picked flavor, and we devoured every single
morsel of food.
Pictured is one of the farm dogs named "flor" or "flower"...fitting, huh? LOL.
After my family left, I needed to relax and recharge to fully absorb my new life in Cabo now that the bit of vacation mindset had vanished. Naturally, I called Capella Pedregal Hotel to schedule a manicure. Capella is owned by a Mexican family and is one of the most exclusive and luxurious hotels in Cabo. Overlooking the Pacific Ocean just past the marina, it is nestled in the mountains- literally as there's a tunnel you go through before arriving at the main entrance- with a grandeur that is unparalleled.
It was on my urgent list of places to visit and out of all the other fine hotels and resorts with a spa on grounds, this one had the most impressive and comprehensive menu of services.
If you can't experience Capella as a hotel guest, I urge you to book something at the spa to get hours of pampering at this wonderful place.
Once you valet, you're escorted down to the Auriga Spa, checked in, and taken on a tour of the locker room, co-ed relaxation pools, and then given a little quiet time before your specialist greets you.
I got there right at my appointment time so enjoyed the jacuzzi, steam room, ice room, and shower after my nails were done. But you can allow time before yours to get all these "necessities" in:).
The Auriga Spa reminded me a lot of the spa at La Amada Resort in Cancun- where I spent a month of vacation post Ironman Cozumel in 2010 as my dad was living there. It's from a Spanish company and the concept and design is very similar.
At Auriga everything is based on the phases of the moon and aligning the customer with that energy. All of their products are organic when possible and as my manicurist explained, the scrubs she used on my hands and arms were by a company (can't believe I forgot the name!) whose founder was in a terrible accident and he was completely restored by some Asian healers so his products were made in honor of them. In the locker, you have chlorophyl water and "digestive" teas, hors deouvres, and fresh fruit.
The manicure was fabulous, and the young lady, Paola from Guadalajara, became an instant friend. I will be back at some point for a pedicure when the time to unwind is loud and clear.
Continuing on the beauty theme:)...my grand aunt booked me a haircut and highlights yesterday because when she saw me at dinner the other night she gasped "sweetheart you are a natural blonde, you can't have that almost black hair with green lines from all that swimming you do!". I love her honesty and sassiness.
I've noticed more and more as the days in Cabo pass, that I'm actually living in SoCal, so it was no surprise to walk into Avalon full of young, hip Americans, and have them rival my favorite salon in Beverly Hills: Fringe.
Jessica did a fantastic job with my broom like, crayola disaster hair. She informed me that ketchup or tomato sauce/paste takes out the green from pools, and I was skeptical at first but she was right!!
In the evening, I joined my great aunt and her husband for a movie and dinner. That's how I roll on a Friday night;)
We went to see Maleficent starring Angelina Jolie and it was awesome! I love her, and Sleeping Beauty is one of my favorite Disney movies. They did a great job in adding to, or clearing up, the story, and using modern film technology to bring this fascinating fairy tale to life.
We then took a short trip to the California Organic Market- where you can find all the essential "Whole Foods" items albeit a very marked up price. I only grabbed some baked Kettle Chips, but spotted Tamari sauce, organic milk and yogurt, Amy's frozen foods, some favorite cereals, etc.
With no rush we drove a few blocks down to the Hacienda Beach Club for dinner. It is one of the oldest hotels in Cabo right next to the Marina past Medano Beach. The ocean is calm more often than not and they had looong bouey lines for swimming that immediately caught my eye (I'm going today of course). The Hacienda lives up to its name with Spanish influences and a spread that differentiates it from the other hotels in Cabo.
The view from the dining area is UNREAL, and for some reason their varied and chef quality cuisine has maintained extremely reasonable prices compared to the competition. It was clear I had a new place on my list of musts for when friends and family are in town.
Today, I'm feeling wiped out from the last couple weeks and the solid training I've managed. Instead of doing a long ride today, I'm leaving that for tomorrow and heading to the Saturday Organic Market in San Jose for its last weekend until November. I went last week and the vendors have already started to fade out, however I did find some raw coconut butter, awesome body cream from Baja Body Deli, and organic pork and chicken tamales- making sure to jot down the lady's number as she still makes and delivers to locals year round.
