For $125 a ticket, we decided to fly to Cabo San Lucas for our final eight days. We took Alaska Airlines from San Diego. We had comfortable leather seats with plenty of leg room. We were very impressed with Alaska Air.
We left San Diego cloudy; due to the low pressure from tropical storm Blanca. Unlike Hurricane Odile that hit Cabo last September, Blanca missed Cabo with winds of 46mph. We would leave Cabo with another Hurricane, Carlos, south of us near Acapulco. These hurricanes were the earliest to appear in this area in years.
Over the Baha peninsula, the skies opened up to the traditional blue. We could see part of Baha peninsula and the islands off of the coast. Flying into the Cabo international airport, we were definitely not in Hawaii any longer. We went from lush, colorful landscape to terse landscape with large cacti. We also went from saying “Aloha,” to “Hola, Buenos Dias!”
Getting through the airport is an experience. The real sharks are the “Time share people” trying to pressure you. I told one guy, “I really don’t want to talk to you.” He responded, “I don’t want to talk to you, either!” He lied.
After a forty-five minute shuttle, we arrived to our third story penthouse about three miles from Cabo center. We have beautiful views of the bay, and the famous arch is just “over there.” We have seen several Carnival Cruise ships come in on our stay. The bay looks similar to our 1987 experience in Acapulco.
We are using the local busses to get around! Kathie was weary of renting a car hearing some of the “horror stories.” I find Mexican drivers to be no worse or better than the States. For all practical purposes, the Cabo area is “safe and sound.”
The bus ride into town is but a dollar. There is no AC, and in the afternoon it can get very hot in one of those tin cans. We estimate we are saving over $400 dollars by not having a rental car, and worrying about parking in town. There is a major four lane highway between Cabo San Lucas and Cabo San Jose. To make a left turn, you have to go over a separate bridge onto a secondary road on each side. Thus, there are few stop lights.
The main area of Cabo is the “marina” area. Every morning we can see a fleet of sport fishing boats leaving the marina to catch the famous Marlin off the coast. The practice of “catch and release” is not a common idea here.
Close to the marina is a mall that is only half completed. The top is completely closed.
On the far right of the Marina is a large hotel shell left abandoned. Hooters Restaurant has moved out, so has the Wyndham Hotel, but there are plenty of other shops and restaurants.
We are lucky to have found a restaurant called “Solomon’s Landing.” They have the best shrimp fajitas we’ve ever had. The water (aqua), too, is good. At least we haven’t gotten the ill-famous Montezuma’s revenge. They put the shrimp fajitas into a large cast iron pot, which keeps it hot for a long time.
There is plenty of building going on. Some of it is still being rebuilt after the hurricane of 2014; however, most of it is new buildings.
This area is a haven for Californians and Canadians. A one to two bedroom penthouse in our unit with a beautiful Cabo Bay view is being sold for $299,000 fully furnished. The real kicker is that the mandatory closing fee is 15K on that amount.
What we have seen is that the Mexicans are hard workers. I would not want to work in this heat. We see workers starting their day at 7:00 AM and leaving the new Thompson hotel at sunset at 8:00 PM. On our way to and from the bus stop, many of these workers say “Hola, Bueno Dais” as we pass.
Kathie does not like the “hawkers” at some of these beaches in Cabo San Lucas. Ironically, most of them are dressed in “white” clothes. Everything is negotiable. As an example, we took a catamaran snorkeling trip that was originally was quoted to us for $69; however, after negotiating we got it for $49.
The Eco Cat is a very large catamaran. We were taken out to view the arch and the surrounding beaches. This is definitely not like Hawaii. Ropes designate what areas you can swim. The visibility is only about twenty to thirty feet when snorkeling.
With all the alcohol one can drink, it was definitely a party boat for some. We are beyond that age, but it was interesting to see how some of these folks act and carry on. We were never like this!
Cabo is the area where a woman, who was on a whale watching boat, died this past March, 2015, when a whale plunged onto their boat. It appears that laws and regulations are limited here. It is still a third world nation.
I had asked an owner of one of our condo’s what he thought about Mexico. Bob said, “It is like living in a 5th world nation…”
The most disgusting event happened when a sewer line busted in town. I hope it busted and not a usual practice. The grey water flowed directly into the marina. Needless to say, the smell was terrible.
I read where the sun shines 350 to 360 days a year here. People definitely come to Cabo San Lucas to beach, fish, golf and just relax.
There is a Home Depot, Costco’s and Walmart near town. But, it is the climate, resorts and apparently cheaper prices that draw people to Cabo San Lucas. There is no question about the beauty of the bay is a large attraction.
