A week in Cabo San Lucas
Cabo trip Report I
Vacation shots from Cabo San Lucas. Jeanne and I had a blast. I took a ton of photos and still haven't gotten them all organized, but I did put some the more the interesting ones in a web gallery on my site.
Saw a ton of really interesting sights and got a taste some great local food, so much so its hard to decide where to start my report….
First off let me say that as with every trip no matter how well prepared you are there is always so much more to do than you can possibly fit into a single week that Jeanne and I are already talking about a return trip. Turns out too we couldn’t have picked a better week, just the week prior there had been a major fishing tournament that attracts a huge crowd, which by the time we arrived had mostly left so we didn’t have to deal with really large crowds of tourists. Thing were pretty quiet which gave us more space on the beach and we got some great deals on items we bought.
This was the first time we had stayed at the time-share we bought there and it couldn’t have been a better location, right on the beach, with a balcony from which we could see the beach and Lands Ends, which is the furthest point south on the Peninsula, and with a view behind us looking atover the city and mountains beyond.
The Time-share unit (top floor, right)
Lands End
The Beach
The mountains in early morning light
Each morning we were treated to some gorgeous sunrises…
And each morning what I first thought was a Bald eagle would join us as we enjoyed the view and some great Mexican coffee as he perched on an adjoining building roof top, the mexicans refered to it as a "fish eagle" but it turned out its not an eagle at all, its an Asprey
Some days we just enjoyed the beach, lounging in recliners enjoying a few beers and as always when I travel outside the US I got to enjoy a good Cuban cigar. We quickly discovered that what they refer to as “appetizers” were so generous that they often severed us as an entire meal. We also discovered that “happy hour” two for one beers last pretty much all day! Now that’s my kind of happy hour! Note the size of the appetizer plate in this shot.
The RocketMan and RudieRider at the beach
As usual there were a ton of vender's everywhere, along the beach, in town, to and from town and in the little villages we visited. We have gotten used to this in our travels and have learned that as long as you don’t engage them in conversation and just keep going with a simple “no” you’ll do fine. It still amazes me how much some can carry, like this guy on the beach, not sure how he can see where he’s going.
Other days we wondered down to the main section of town and the Marina, a mere 5 minutes away. As such we never bothered to rent a car, really no need too and the one trip we took into the mountains we did as part of a small 8 person tour with a very good driver and guide. As such we probably learned more than had we done it on our own, plus he knew some interesting little towns and spoke very good English. Next time we go we now know where to head to so we can do a trip on own and take time to stay in each location longer and really wonder around.
Besides lots of aspreys, there were a ton of brown pelicans, here’s one doing something I have never seen one do before, I knew they could open they beaks wide, but this is almost unreal!
While this one seems to be “tuning up” in preparation to belt out a tune!
One evening the time share put on a “Mexican Party” with a marimba band and local dance troupe that did some traditional Mexican dances and a Mayan Dance of the Dead (as it falls on the same day as our Halloween which occurred while we were there.)
And it ended with some fireworks in the background as they performed the final dance.
end of part I
RM
Vacation shots from Cabo San Lucas. Jeanne and I had a blast. I took a ton of photos and still haven't gotten them all organized, but I did put some the more the interesting ones in a web gallery on my site.
Saw a ton of really interesting sights and got a taste some great local food, so much so its hard to decide where to start my report….
First off let me say that as with every trip no matter how well prepared you are there is always so much more to do than you can possibly fit into a single week that Jeanne and I are already talking about a return trip. Turns out too we couldn’t have picked a better week, just the week prior there had been a major fishing tournament that attracts a huge crowd, which by the time we arrived had mostly left so we didn’t have to deal with really large crowds of tourists. Thing were pretty quiet which gave us more space on the beach and we got some great deals on items we bought.
This was the first time we had stayed at the time-share we bought there and it couldn’t have been a better location, right on the beach, with a balcony from which we could see the beach and Lands Ends, which is the furthest point south on the Peninsula, and with a view behind us looking atover the city and mountains beyond.
The Time-share unit (top floor, right)
Lands End
The Beach
The mountains in early morning light
Each morning we were treated to some gorgeous sunrises…
And each morning what I first thought was a Bald eagle would join us as we enjoyed the view and some great Mexican coffee as he perched on an adjoining building roof top, the mexicans refered to it as a "fish eagle" but it turned out its not an eagle at all, its an Asprey
Some days we just enjoyed the beach, lounging in recliners enjoying a few beers and as always when I travel outside the US I got to enjoy a good Cuban cigar. We quickly discovered that what they refer to as “appetizers” were so generous that they often severed us as an entire meal. We also discovered that “happy hour” two for one beers last pretty much all day! Now that’s my kind of happy hour! Note the size of the appetizer plate in this shot.
The RocketMan and RudieRider at the beach
As usual there were a ton of vender's everywhere, along the beach, in town, to and from town and in the little villages we visited. We have gotten used to this in our travels and have learned that as long as you don’t engage them in conversation and just keep going with a simple “no” you’ll do fine. It still amazes me how much some can carry, like this guy on the beach, not sure how he can see where he’s going.
Other days we wondered down to the main section of town and the Marina, a mere 5 minutes away. As such we never bothered to rent a car, really no need too and the one trip we took into the mountains we did as part of a small 8 person tour with a very good driver and guide. As such we probably learned more than had we done it on our own, plus he knew some interesting little towns and spoke very good English. Next time we go we now know where to head to so we can do a trip on own and take time to stay in each location longer and really wonder around.
Besides lots of aspreys, there were a ton of brown pelicans, here’s one doing something I have never seen one do before, I knew they could open they beaks wide, but this is almost unreal!
While this one seems to be “tuning up” in preparation to belt out a tune!
One evening the time share put on a “Mexican Party” with a marimba band and local dance troupe that did some traditional Mexican dances and a Mayan Dance of the Dead (as it falls on the same day as our Halloween which occurred while we were there.)
And it ended with some fireworks in the background as they performed the final dance.
end of part I
RM
http://roadrunes.com
"It's better to bite the hand that feeds you, than to feed the hand that bites you" - Me
"It's better to bite the hand that feeds you, than to feed the hand that bites you" - Me
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Cabo Trip Report II
One day, as I mentioned, we took a day trip with a local tour company up along the coast to La Pas and then into the mountains and cross the peninsula to the Pacific side. This trip included a few small towns, one a small fishing village further up the gulf side between Cabo and Las Pas.
Note what looks like very palm trees are really smoke stacks, almost all smoke stacks we saw were done like this with palm fans attached to the top. Kinda cool and makes them blend in with the back ground. We learned that palm trees are not native to this area but were introduced by outsiders.
Some local color along the road
We stopped here for breakfast consisting of locally make fruit filled pastry, mango, papaya and assorted other fruits, including strawberries which are locally grown on large communal farms, between the fishing village and La Pas.
. We were somewhat surprised to find that so many fruits and vegetable are grown in this area as it only gets rainfall for 2 months of the year, but they seem to have a good supply of aquifers in the mountains and most farming is done at elevations of 1000 to 2000 feet. The area has several mountain ranges with the tallest peak being over 8000 feet, as seen here.
Next we headed over the lower mountains along the coast as we made our way to La Pas.
La Pas is one of the few major cites in Baja and sits on the gulf coast around 160 K, from Cabo.
The town square at the edge of the Bay of La Pas.
The bay itself
And a few more shots of the town.
Since all the towns and cities in this area were founded by Spanish Missionaries, as the Mayans were a nomadic culture, they all had at least one church most of which date back at least several hundred years.
After La Pas we headed east across the mountains to visit an old former mining town, man talk about great motorcycling roads!
As we climbed the mountains I noticed there were many wide dry river beds, as seen here, which during the 10 months of the dry season are often used as convenient roads, just about all had tire tracks running along them.
In the small mining town we visited, our route actually took us on one such river bed, you can see the tire tracks and since they are fairly flat it makes perfect sense to utilize them as such during the long dry season.
The mining town we visited is now pretty much a ghost town now, but there were a few hangers on and a small school for the children of the farmers in the area. It is a state run boarding school since the farms are so wide spread and the students live in dormers for the school term, all of which is provided free by the state government.
Here is one wall where the caretaker was busy painting the stones in bright colors
The remains of the smelting towers where the ore was once processed, curiously this mining town was run by the French, the towers being build by an individual named, oddly enough, Eiffel, so I guess Baja Mexico can claim to have their own “Eiffel” Tower. Ha Ha.
A few more shots of the town below
And of course the church..
Next it was on to another small town on western slopes of the mountains facing the Pacific Ocean, called Todos Santos. This town has become noted for it growing artist population, including many Americans who have moved and established several art galleries here. It is also the location of one of several “Hotel California”, which the locals claim to be the one that inspired the famous song by the same name, but by all accounts the same claim is made by several towns with establishments of the same name.
Either way here it is
An old door on one side of the building leading into the interior court yard which held a café, bar and shops.
Another interior shot
Some shots from around town.
A peddler on a trike selling fresh fruits for consumption on the spot.
Local art work, very colorful as is typical of Mexican art
A mural that tells the entire history of Mexico in less than twenty-five feet!
Not sure how the surfer fits in to the history, except maybe as an indication of the advent of tourism?
I also saw this BMW GS in town, the tags were from the state of Alaska! Wow, now that must have been some trip, pretty much as far along the western coast of North America as you can go.
While there we also visited the local culture center where people have donated various objects that depict the local life, art and history. Another very informative display there showed how they used to build houses out of intertwined sticks without the use of nails or rope. They would start by placing upright poles at intervals to form the outside of the house, then by threading green sticks between the upright poles in a woven pattern, using smaller uprights spaced between the fixed poles the tension of the weave would hold the woven walls in place as the sticks dried. See the detail shot below
This also allowed the walls to breath and as there was so little rain fall the open structure of the walls was of no great concern.
After leaving Todos Santos we headed back down the final leg along MX19 to the ocean and saw a beautiful sunset. As we were told several times the Baja Peninsula is one of the few places were you can see the sunrise and set over the water from a single vantage point.
Along the road we saw a number of these small structures, seems they are placed at points were people have died along the road, much like you see state side with small crosses and flowers. They all seem well maintained and the families take great care in ensuring they have fresh flowers and place bowls of food and water in them as well.
We also saw a lot of free range cattle, horses and donkeys, they would just wonder onto the highway as they pleased. We were told that driving at night can be very treacherous as they like to lie down in the middle of the road when the pavement is still warm since the desert air turns cold quickly once the sun is down.
And finally a sunset over the Pacific
end of part II
RM
"It's better to bite the hand that feeds you, than to feed the hand that bites you" - Me
Beauty and the Beasts
Don’t EVER let anyone tell you the Baja desert isn’t full of color or simply nothing more than dry river beds and cactus. Nothing could be further from the truth as this next set of photos illustrate!
Another reason that we happened to have picked the perfect time of year to go there was that it was only a month or so from the end of the rainy season and the desert was still in full bloom. There were flowers everywhere and the terrain on each side of the mountain range unique. On the side that gets the greater amount of rain, there were flowering bushes in abundance while on the northern side the cacti were huge, many of which are well over a thousand years old. I had no idea they could live to that age.
And now for some of the “beasts” I saw ..
Besides the one airhead GS from Alaska, in Cabo I saw this one, often parked right next to the Harley dealer at the harbor.
Along with the 2 BMW’s there were some cruisers, HD’s and even one like Jeannes C 50 T
There were also a few brands I’d never seen before such as this one
A sort of upright twin cruiser look-a-like make by ?? called a Dinamo
Riding a bike could be a bit tricky in town, as our tour guide told us, traffic lights, stop signs and other such, were treated as merely “suggestions”! Ha Ha!
A “sidecar” rig
And another odd ball, note this is only a 200 CC machine but dig the speaker system on it! Made by an Italian company judging by the name “Itainio” or some such I think it was, I’ll have to check, I think I got a shot of the engine close up. I saw several of this brand in town
The Harley shop had a cool cut-a-way engine on display.
And there was also a BMW dealer, bet they sell a lot of GS’s! Even the road to our time share on the edge of town was packed dirt.
Did I mention the great beer and Cuban cigars, yet?
Lands End and the final day…
See we’re almost done….
On Thursday we took a boat out to Lands End the furthest most point on the Peninsula, about a ¼ mile out from the beach. There any number of frigate birds can be seen on the rocks and there is a colony of sea lions that live on the rocks around and in the famous Lands end arch. This is where the Sea of Cortes and the Pacific Ocean meet.
The depth of the water here is over 2000 feet even as close to the shore as it is! Wow!
The famous “Pirate’s Cave”
And still more Pelicans
A few more sunrises….
Did I mention the beer and great Cuban cigars?
In the evening many of the bars on the beach would put out tables right on the sand, and you could wonder along the beach and simply sit down where you pleased. In fact several evenings Jeanne and I dined bare foot and in one place called the Giggling Marlin they had a “pet” rooster wondering around cleaning the scraps and crumbs off the floor. How great to dine at places where shoes and shirts are NOT required! In fact I wore nothing but sandals the whole week, when I even bothered to wear any foot wear, that is. Now that’s living!
The final night Jeanne and I treated ourselves to a truly awesome dinner at the harbor at a place we where we had a glorious breakfast the same morning. The beef they raise in Mexico is some of the best I’ve ever tasted, this night we had braised beef tenderloin they prepared right at the table, it quite literally melted in your mouth!
I had the Thai shrimp in coconut milk for an appetizer. MMMMMMM
The RocketMan and Rudie Rider at dinner…
And the main course
this picture doesn't do it justice at all, it was some of the finest beef I've ever had, Hmmmmm
Next, A ship in the night, another great way to travel, I'll have to post my trip aboard The Navigator of the Seas we took to Belize this past Feb. of 08, it makes this ship look small!
Damn I love traveling! I’m looking forward to a return to Cabo, and now I’m thinking I wouldn’t mind riding the entire length of the Baja Peninsula one day. It’s a 1000 miles one way from Cabo to Tijuana along MX Rt. 1. Much of it along or near one of the two coasts and across the mountains.
And in parting, one last shot of Lands End in some early AM fog
and a final lone shot, one of my favorites that I call
"Mexican Still Life"
RM
Over and out….
"It's better to bite the hand that feeds you, than to feed the hand that bites you" - Me