Day 22 - Cabo San Lucas B.C.S.

My first full day in Cabo and I should’ve noticed that it was going to be that kind of day. It started out with no water in the house, and I mean none so no toilets being flushed and no showers that it will take a few hours for the tank to get filled which likely means no water for the day which was pretty much the case. It did finally come back on after dinner, but after a hot sweaty day I just made sure I had enough beers in me not to worry about it. I also needed the beers for another reason which I’ll eventually get to. 

I figured for my first day and since it looked like a storm coming in, or at least rain that I should see about getting my bike into the Harley shop so they could start working on it incase they needed to order some parts. I checked the internet for the shop and it looked easy enough to get to downtown Cabo where all the action is that I set out on my way there only not to be able to find the place. I don’t remember how many people I stopped to ask, but at least I knew how to ask where, ‘donde’ that I had people pointing me in the general direction but no luck finding it. Now where I come from most of the Harley shops have a big sign out front that you can’t possibly miss them, but this shop isn’t one of those kind of shops. I finally was heading down the right street but there was nothing other than the parking ramp to the shopping center that I asked another guy where the Harley shop was and he pointed me into the parking ramp. Ok, I guess I’ll take a chance and sure enough I did find the service area in the ramp. I pulled my bike in and talked to the service guys and asked for Dave the owner so I could run through what I needed done to my bike and they eventually pointed me to the mall to try and find my way around. I did eventually find the small store in the mall, but it still took some doing and once there asked for Dave who wasn’t in and probably wouldn’t be for at least an hour or more. 

Well, as long as I have my bike here I might as well wait that next door there was a pretty nice restaurant that I figured I might as well treat myself to a nice breakfast so sat down and order some french toast and sausages along with a glass of orange juice and ice water. I’m one of those type that like ice in my juice, but when he delivered the water that is when I finally realized not a good idea to get a glass of water and I probably should worry about the ice because if they haven’t used purified water, gringo’s like me could get sick that I pushed it away and drank the juice just the way it was. It turned out to be a great breakfast and as of today while writing this, I am still safe from the dreaded problems tourist sometimes have in Mexico, lets just hope it stays that way.

Back to the Harley shop and Dave was close by that he’ll stop by the service shop first and then up to the store that I figured I’d try to catch him by the shop that I walked back down, finding my way pretty easy this time, but no Dave so I must of missed him so hoofed it back to the store where sure enough, he was in his office and eventually came down. I went through the list of things I needed done and he did mention maybe ordering a kickstand from another dealer to get it back to spec, but once he found out it was over a 200 dollar item he checked with the mechanic who said they could easily wield it correct and get a new spring put on it which would be much cheaper. Apparently the wield job that Jesus did wasn’t quite up to snuff which is why he had to drill another hole in my frame just to get it to work. Dave wasn’t too happy hearing that, but hey I needed something done to get me on the road and I said for what this bikes been through, another hole in the frame hopefully won’t make any difference. Dave also mentioned there was a chance that the category 2 hurricane was going to hit Cabo that he did suggest my best bet is to leave the bike even if they couldn’t get to it right away because if it does hit the streets and the dirt road that I’m staying at will definitely not be something you’ll want to be riding on that I’m ok doing without my bike for a few days that I might as well has home and do some relaxing which is just what I headed home to do.

It was definitely a hot humid day that I took my time on the walk back and it was a long one that I was sweaty and remember no water so no shower for me. I figured I’d see about relaxing on the deck and Jess and Michael had an old string hammock laying on the deck that they said the old tenants left and they had never used it that I figured, maybe if I get it tied up between the rails, I could definitely sleep in it so I started untying a side so I could string it between the rail. I did get it secured and opened it up looking at how battered it was that I did think for a second that I wonder if it’d hold me that I’ll give it a try and slowly started sitting in it ever so slowly added a little more weight that wouldn’t you know it, it broke and there I go slamming my head into the patio wall and Michael yelling out if I was ok where I just sat somewhat stunned and sure enough, had a hand full of blood from the back of my head that he eventually got me a towel and said we should really make a trip to the emergency room because it looked pretty bad. He tried to show me with the mirrors and I was just going to let it go, but I figured better safe than sorry that he was going to take me there because I could definitely use someone who can speak Spanish that it’s a good thing he did come along. If you look really close to the picture of the patio wall, you can see where my head hit, the round spot right in the middle.

We walked to the local OXXO where we’ve been getting our beers to try to see about calling a taxi and the workers didn’t have a number for one, but a lady overheard Michael asking for one in Spanish that she gave him a number that we tried calling, but no luck. Eventually she called and I don’t know what she said or found out that the next thing I knew, she was going to give us both a ride there. At least that’s what Michael told me that we piled into her small car, me hitting my head once again, but no more damage this time that we were on our way and her and Michael talking it up in Spanish that I’m sure some of it was about me and my stupid stunt of trying to use a hammock that was sure not to hold me. Well we get to the emergency room and at least the girl at the front speaks enough English that they give me forms to fill out and they must get a number of American’s here because it was in English and Spanish that it was pretty easy for me to fill out. We waited until the nurse came to pick me up and Michael was going to come with, until the nurse and girl at the front said the doctors and nurses speak Spanish, English and even French so I’d be ok on my own and Michael was free to go home. 

What a way to relax in the emergency room getting stitched up which took 8 stitches in the back of the head which almost matched the 12 I had on the front of my head yeas ago when my head met the curling ice. It wasn’t much relaxation because it hurt and now according to the doctors orders no swimming in a pool or the ocean for at least 7 to 10 days when I have to come back to get the stitches taken out that it pretty much spoils me spending too much time on the beach, maybe. I’m sure I also had a little of a concussion from the hit too and my neck sure hurt that probably a little whiplash to go along with it all. No instructions to have someone keep waking me up every few hours that I started the long walk home once again on a hot humid day where I sweated just as much and remember, no water in the house at all. 

Once home this time I decided I might as well relax in the lounge chair on the deck that I really wished I had thought better and just used that instead of thinking about a hammock, which sure enough is still laying on the patio waiting for the next victim to try the same. Yes, it really does need to be tossed. As for the rest of the day, that meant drinking a few beers for the pain because me, I don’t like taking aspirin or pain pills and would much rather numb it with beers that Jess, Michael and I did just that. They did take me to their favorite local taco shop and they were pretty good tacos for only 10 pesos a taco which is less than a buck per that I had to try one of each and a different sauce on each that one of them was pretty hot, spicy, but they were all good. Back to the house and I think we still made another couple of runs to the OXXO a block away for beers that we definitely had our share and eventually, water in the house that it was a good thing too so we could finally flush the toilets. 

Oh, and now that I have a few stitches in the head (which you’ll see the pictures of), that means no riding for at least a few days when I’ll be able to put a helmet on, but they are still working on my bike and wouldn’t you know it, finding more things that have to be taken care of on it. More about that with tomorrow’s story which I could probably go into since some of the pics are from the beach that I walked to on my second full day in Cabo, but I will save that story for tomorrow. Enjoy the pics and stay tuned for what could possibly go wrong next. I do like the tequila pic and there are already pics of the beach which you'll hear about later.

Day 22 Cabo pics