Surviving Changes Podcast

Free Drinks, False Friends, and Finding My Way in Paradise

Heidi Hunt Season 3 Episode 27

What happens when you're stuck in limbo, waiting out an NDA and unable to earn money? For me, the answer was living in a van behind a Cabo San Lucas bar, bartering social skills for meals and shelter. This fascinating chapter of my journey reveals how necessity and chance encounters shaped my survival strategies in paradise.

Behind the touristic façade of Cabo lies a complex social ecosystem I gradually uncovered. My arrangement with Charlie at Cabo Jack's might seem peculiar—living in my van, using his facilities, entertaining customers for free food and drinks—but it provided exactly what I needed: a place to wait. Despite appearances, my mobile home offered surprising comfort with an air mattress, entertainment, and even aromatherapy diffusers for those rare quiet moments between the constant parties.

When locals Larry and Anita entered my life, everything shifted. Their Christian charity routine led to them financing my first apartment, but their true motivations remained murky. Meanwhile, connections with cartel-affiliated businessmen David and Nacho accidentally opened my eyes to untapped tour business opportunities on platforms like Viator and TripAdvisor. Despite being deceived about payment, this knowledge eventually allowed me to build a lucrative business with my stateside friend Mark—generating up to $12,000 weekly before circumstances forced us to scale back operations. 

What started as killing time evolved into a crash course in survival, entrepreneurship, and recognizing the thin veneer separating paradise from its darker undercurrents. Listen now to hear how these experiences shaped my understanding of trust and opportunity in unexpected places, and subscribe to catch next week's revelation about what really happened with Larry and Anita.

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Speaker 1:

Hello there everybody. I'm Heidi and this is the Surviving Changes podcast. I missed you. I hope you missed me and I also hope you didn't. So, all right, cabo, we are at the land of the heathen. We've just arrived at Cabo Jacks and we have now seen that, charlie, he's been introduced to us by Patty Remember that's how we got there and Patty's husband is a sheriff at the Yakima Sheriff's Department. Those guys are all Freemasons. They're also, remember, I sued the Yakima Police Department and didn't sue the sheriffs, but they were all part of that deal. And so, and now I'm at Cabo Jack's and the first people I meet there is his aunt and uncle, and they're from Washington and they're from that whole scene. They're the tow truck drivers.

Speaker 1:

Hmm, okay, what a fun coincidence. Maybe, maybe. We'll see. We'll see if it's a coincidence or not, but at that point in time I'm still killing time. I need to wait a few more years still before I can earn any money, uh, and before I can do anything with that NDA. So I might as well just hang out and kill time, and Cabos is as good a place as any kill time if that's what you're doing, especially if you have some deal with charlie that you can live in the back in your van, um, use electricity, wi-fi, the bathroom, um, his washer dryer and all you have to do is get drunk with the locals. I guess not even the locals, um, some of the locals, I guess not even the locals, um, some of the locals, but also the tourists, whoever happens to be spending their money at bars in town. If they come in, and I sat and talked to them, um, and they kept drinking. Charlie would give me a couple of meals a day. He said three, but the the meals are big. I only need one, maybe two a day, um, um, and then you could drink for free all day long, um, and so it was actually a great way to kill time.

Speaker 1:

Now, it looked really bad and I'm sure people talk shit, but I woke up when I wanted to. That van was not uncomfortable. Um, I did my best to make it look uncomfortable and look like a wreck, a mess, but really it was not so bad at all. We had an air mattress. Pellucci had a great little area that he slept up in his seat. I had a bed for him. I had an air mattress. We could watch TV on my laptop. I even had one of the little diffusers. So we went to bed at night, plugged that in, get a nice little relaxing smell, watch a movie.

Speaker 1:

Now there was parties 24 hours a day at Coverjacks, or is parties, I'm sure and so you had to be used to loud music. Um, people just knocking on your cause, you get to know everybody. People knocking on your van 24 hours a day, um, wanting you to come drink with them, you know stuff like that. But, um, look, I'd still be I, it was not a bad life, um. But so Larry and Anita are two locals that came in and, um, I wish I could say that Larry and Anita were just like really great people, um, that became my friends. I wish I could say that. And at this point we are gonna say that they come in quite a bit and they get drunk and spit shitloads and we have so much fucking fun, man, I had so much fun during this time. They talked me into karaoke and it turns out I like to karaoke, I like to get fucked up, a couple of jacks and karaoke, and so that's what we did Ate, drank, and we were married, but they always went home to their nice little condo and their house, and in a little condo area, I guess, and I would go back to my van.

Speaker 1:

And now that at least it appeared this is what they presented to me that it made Anita feel really, really bad. And so Larry's one of those guys that he helps a lot of people in town, just here and there. Anita is a self-proclaimed Christian and she believes she can pray Larry. Larry's not, he's an atheist and she thinks she can pray Larry. Larry's not, he's an atheist and she thinks she can pray him into heaven. And so me and Anita had a lot of you know, these type conversations and stuff like that, and we'd go back to their place. Sometimes They'd take me, maybe I'd spend the night in their guest room and just get drunk in their pool, have a barbecue. It was a lot of fun.

Speaker 1:

And so eventually it appeared, and maybe it did it hurt Anita's feelings so bad that I would keep going back to the van. She wanted me to have an apartment and I'm like, or at least somewhere to live. So at first they talked me into coming into and just staying in their condo room. Um, and for me that it wasn't, I know it would appear more comfortable, um, and from their side, assuming they were just being good people, um, I'm sure to them they're like oh, it's a free room, uh, she can go in the pool, there's free beer here, there's free food. But remember, I was already had free beer and free food, um, I had a shower, I had, uh, everything myself, right. And so now I'm in this room and I'm feeling guilty that I'm not really able to contribute to these guys at all, um and so, and they go drinking a lot and I don't have any money to go drinking. So I stay back home and they're willing to pay for me, uh, but I'm not willing to. They're already letting me stay there.

Speaker 1:

So I would stay back there and start working on um different little projects, websites, things like that. Um, because one of the things I did learn from Charlie when I was at Cabo Jacks during this time was the tour business. He really wanted me to um get some stuff started in at Cabo Jacks, and in fact I did. But there was a guy manager in there that really hated the fact that this gringo woman was in there doing stuff, and so he would he'd come in and fuck me up at every given chance. He would he'd come in and fuck me up at every given chance and so it was difficult to get anything going with charlie at that time. We did a little bit later, once I got moved out, um, but so I learned a lot about that that business. So when anita and larry would go into town drinking, I would stay back um and work on like a tour website and stuff like that.

Speaker 1:

But I was feeling bad, um about not contributing and I was absolutely fine living in the van and so I'm like you guys, I'm gonna. I'm gonna go back and live with charlie, um, because I'm not a drag on anything there until I get things going and um, in Larry and Anita fashion, because they do do this for a lot of people. That's. That's why, at first, um, I really believed that Larry and Anita were my friends because of the things, um, we had a lot of fun together, uh, and they were very helpful. But remember, I've had a lot of people. They see me in a van and come try and help and really they're just there to fuck me around, waste my time, make me feel bad about myself. I'm going to read you guys a training manual, as a matter of fact, on one of these next podcasts, so you can hear what I'm talking about, and when I say they and that there's a manual on that, you'll know what I'm talking about. You should read it yourselves. Um, it's on my tiktok.

Speaker 1:

So, um, rather than see me go back in the van, anita ended up finding, uh, and it was the it's an awesome little apartment over behind diamante um, it's called altamira, plus just some cheap condos, but they sit right behind some of the most expensive resorts in Cabo Um, and so they paid for my first month rent and said I could pay them back as soon as I. You know, I had a month to figure out how to, how to get money, and so that was awesome. But it was on the fourth floor, um, and there was no elevator, and so I was slowly moving things up. Um, you know, like when I had to go to the store, then I would carry something up, I brought everything up that I needed. But there was a lot of memories still in my van um at this point in time.

Speaker 1:

Uh, also at this point in time, I had met a neighbor that was divorcing his wife and also wanted some help with some business stuff, essentially getting some funding, and so he I made a deal with him that I would help him with those things if he gave me this little Fingerhut computer. So at this point in time I have a new, very cheap, it's new, but like a $400 or $ut computer. So at this point in time I have a new, very cheap, it's new, but like a $400 or $500 computer. So I can finally really start doing stuff. Because up to this point I'm really working on some dead dead. I'm doing my best to get stuff done, but it's pretty dead. I'm very limited with what I have, and so that helped quite a bit. So I got his stuff with what I have, and so that helped quite a bit. So I got his stuff done and I got that computer, and during that time I was doing every little thing that I could to make some money to pay the next month's rent as I'm figuring stuff out, and so it was incredibly lucky to me. It got me by for a long time, incredibly lucky and unlucky at the same time.

Speaker 1:

So, charlie, obviously I don't know if he's a direct cartel member, but he certainly is a cartel associate and so there's cartel people everywhere and one of the, as a matter of fact, one of the bartenders we called him Tricky. We had a lot of fun with Tricky, um, jenny, she's on my TikTok, she's awesome, she's just an innocent little gal that is surviving in Cabo Um, but like there were our servers and stuff. But like Tricky was a cartel guy, um, and so are a lot of people that that would come in Um, um. But so I get a message from Charlie that says, hey, I got some friends, david and Nacho, and they're going to stop by. They need your help. They've been locked out of their TripAdvisor and Viator and they want to get to some reviews. I'm like, okay, and he's like they'll pay you a few bucks. I know you need money. I'm like, all right, awesome.

Speaker 1:

And so they came over and I took a look, opened up my little computer that I had and they're like, hey, look, there's a bad review on here and we want to respond to it and we don't know how to even get in. We lost our password. We don't know how to get into this account to figure it out. Can you help us? And I'm like, yeah, um, I'm like on my last leg, give me 50 bucks, uh, and come back tomorrow and I'll help you. And they're like, okay, and so they gave me 50 bucks, um, because at that point in time my internet was getting ready to be shut off and I I had no food. I'm like, look at, I need 30 for internet and I need some food and some water. And they're like, all right, here's $50. And then they came back the next day and so I got them into it.

Speaker 1:

But what I saw at that time was nobody was selling on Viator TripAdvisor. They were just using it for reviews in Cabo. Nobody knew how to actually do that. But when I went to get in there, um, on their page it said, uh, there are no tours for this um company available. Click here for possible other ones. And there was nothing there. And so when they came back over, I'm like here you go, here's your, here's how you get in. But looky, here, um, I think you guys can be selling tours on here.

Speaker 1:

And so David and Nacho and I found out later that they lied to me. They always knew they were never going to pay me. Fucking gross ass. Just Well, they're called cartel people. So both cartel members. That ended up costing David dearly he's no longer with us.

Speaker 1:

But so I told them they could be selling and they act all innocent. They act like great nice guys. And Nacho has a cute little family. I end up being friends with his kids. We have little secret handshakes and everything. I want to help the best I can.

Speaker 1:

And so I'm like, look, you guys can probably sell on here, but I can't. And so, um, I'm like, look, I, you guys can probably sell on here, um, but I can't. I don't have time to be setting up. I need to figure out how to pay this rent. When it comes, comes up and they're like well, here, look, we have to give commission anyway, we have to give 30% commission. If you set these things up, we'll give you 10% commission for ever, for the rest of your life. And I'm like, fuck, that's a good deal, um, but I still need money right now to pay stuff. So I'm like, for every product I'll build it, your products, and for every product I want $50. And then I want 10% of everything that's get sold on there. And they're like, fine, um.

Speaker 1:

And so I set them up uh, get the $50 per product. They pay me 10% like three times and then never again. Now, for me it's. I think they're just like busy and fucking me around. But then it gets clear no, these guys are cartel guys and they're going to make me fight for it. So, um, I just I'm in Cabo. I can't. What are you going to do? I'm like it's okay, I don't need that 10% anymore, but I did learn by that way how to start my own business.

Speaker 1:

The problem is these deep state motherfuckers, the people that have stole, set me up, who we now know as a fusion center and beyond. They're community-based agents. Have it to where I can't have a business. Yet they won't. They'll deny me, they. I can't even have a bank account, a business bank account, because they've done all the shit to me and until I can afford to get it cleared and go back there safely and do it, it's a um, it's fucked up and those people are going to hell and I'm just going to leave it at that. Um.

Speaker 1:

But so my friend, mark you've, you've heard Mark. I'm like, well, I do got one friend in the world and I helped save his life. Maybe he'll help me out, and he, uh, mark doesn't really travel very far at all. He's one of those guys that's lived in the same place literally forever. He pretty much went to high school, but he had a girlfriend that wanted to retire in Cabo and so he's like well, so I proposed to him that we start a business together, we run it in his name and then if anything does any good, we'll sell it, split it, do whatever. But he could do all the paperwork in estates and I could run it from Cabo and then he could come down on the business or whatever. And so we set that up. And that's actually man.

Speaker 1:

In the beginning had I been able to make money. There were some weeks we were making $12,000 a week. It was really really good. But I had to slow it down a lot because that was going to be a big problem if I started making that much money at that time. Now I wish I could obviously um, now that I'm past that irs time frame, um, but so. But it gave me a awesome opportunity to um man, I did the helicopter tour in cabo. I've done pretty much every tour there is in Cabo and so that has been very, very exciting. I had a lot of fascinating stuff. There's a lot of heathens in Cabo and in that regard it was a really, really good time.

Speaker 1:

But Larry and Anita, so I need to tell you about Larry and Anita and then you decide. Well, I think we're going to let a jury decide about Larry and Anita, because to this day, I have not confronted Larry and Anita with everything that's gone on that I know about. But I'm going to tell you just a little bit about it in the next episode and you tell me, um, what you think about Larry and Anita, and then I think we'll let the jury decide about Larry and Anita. But right as of right now, um, I'm in that apartment, uh, over there, it's a good life.

Speaker 1:

I still need to get a bunch of my belongings moved up in the van and it's looking pretty good. I'm thinking it's going to be alright. Those apartments are not too expensive and, man, you can watch the fireworks over there at Hard Rock and Diamante no boo, it's literally right behind that and close enough that you can see the whales out there, the sunset. Um, that's a very, very, very good life right there, and if I would have stayed in Cabo, I would have got a couple of those, those condos over there, because they started out like 30 grand, um, and people are making huge amounts of money on Airbnb over there. So, all right, we're going to talk about Larry and Anita next. This is Heidi, and this is the Surviving Changes podcast. Thank you.

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