Trying Not to Watch the News

We're getting pretty relaxed down here but I find myself getting wound up every time I watch CNN and listen to the Republicans and many Americans talk about closing the U.S. border to all refugees because one or two "bad" ones might sneak through. Perhaps the indigenous peoples should have taken the same stance when the Mayflower arrived. Or how about when there is a mass shooting at a mall or school.........shouldn't we take guns away from everyone to prevent further massacres? No, they say, you can't do that just because of a few "bad" people. Not very clear, humane thinking in my humble opinion but I better stop before I get myself worked up again and need a few extra margaritas.

We just finished a wonderful visit from our daughter, Caity. We took her to several of our favourites (Art Walk, beach club and walks, the Artisan market, estuary walk, day trip to Cabo San Lucas) and we discovered a few new ones. One day we rented a car and drove to Cabo Pulmo (2 hours) where we snorkelled in the national marine park, viewing lots of colourful fish and some coral. On the way back we stopped at a canyon near Santiago and did a short hike out to a waterfall pool where Caity entertained us jumping off several different rocky points into the water below the falls. A hilltop hike and geocache hunt was postponed when Caity was a bit under the weather on her final full day here (probably lonesome for home when she heard about the snow conditions in the mountains) but we did that in her honour yesterday. The Los Cabos International Film Festival occurred last week and we took in two interesting documentaries with saving our planet themes. We also found lots of time for some nice meals, pool time,many games and lots of laughs. We miss her already.

Enough for now, it is after noon and our cocktail bar has opened :-)

Red Snapper on the way to our BBQ. This has become one of our favourite meals.

Stopped for a late morning snack beside the Cabo San Lucas marina. Caity introduced us to the Bulldog, a margarita with a beer being gradually added into the mix. Yummmmm!

A short time later we found ourselves making a return trip to The Office (on the beach). We were still there well after the sun went down.

A turtle release program with one day old turtles on the beach near the estuary. It was the second time we saw this happen while there to watch the sunset.

Cabo Pulmo, Los Frailes beach. The ladies were on their way to snorkel along the cove seen in the background. Lots of colourful fish.

Our daring daughter taking a leap from one of the smaller rocks. She jumped from larger ones as well. I was in charge of taking photos and guarding the beer we brought along.

The view from the hill we climbed in search of a geocache. This was referred to as a small mountain in Mexico but back home it would most definitely be a "hill".

A successful find in a nicely protected canister at the summit.

Elder Care

As we eagerly anticipate the arrival of daughter Caity for a week long visit, several random thoughts have crossed my mind during the lazy days of Cabo (or maybe it is just the tequila). We always enjoy it when our grown children decide to join us on one of our adventures. However, with the constant attention we seem to be getting on our most recent trips………Rachel joining us in Sri Lanka, Caity in Switzerland and Austria, Rachel in Spain, and both of them in South America before that…….I am now starting to think that they may have decided it might be in everyone’s best interests to keep a closer eye on their not-so-normal parents. I was hoping our days of assisted living were further off in our future but I am gradually coming around to the concept of us needing help.

One particular area that I am hoping Caity will be able to assist us with is pouring drinks. It seems like the Mexicans, for some undetermined reason, have decided it is a good idea to imbed safe pour spouts in the necks of their liquor bottles. We now refer to them as ‘no pour’ impediments as we are having extreme difficulty getting anything out of the bottle, to the point where I often make a snap decision to have a beer instead. Being the inquisitive mind that I am……….I like to learn something new every day (to make up for the 2-3 things I now forget every day)……….I did some research on the internet looking for a solution to our problem and came across the following website:

http://www.mexconnect.com/forums/General_C1/General_Forum_F1/What_is_the_deal_with_these_tequila_bottles_P76081/

You really should paste this site to your browser and check it out to fully comprehend the challenges we have been faced with and to uncover the miracle solutions presented, should you ever be faced with the same dilemma.

And to further support my point that we may need help, this past week we made return trips to two different attractions that had been recommended to us by our host……..the Thursday night Art Walk and the Saturday morning Organic Market. Apparently these two events don’t actually start until the beginning of November, which is why the market field had horses in it, and the art galleries were closed, last month. They were both a lot more fun to visit this week! While I am at it, I may as well mention that I also hailed down a bus to help us get our groceries and wine back to the condo, only to find out that the end of its’ route was a mere 200 metres further down the road. At least the driver was kind enough to refund our fare when we reached the end of the line. I do plan to master the unmapped, numbered bus system before we leave but will anyone take my documented findings seriously?

I rest my case.

The beginning of the Art Walk in Plaza Mijares. Galleries, tastings and live music throughout the historic centre.

My "Supermacho" dinner, filled with shrimp, octopus, scallops and more seafood.

Down at the beach with adult beverages to watch the sun set.

The Mercado Organico on Saturday morning.

Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)

During our travels we always seem to stumble upon festivals that we are usually unfamiliar with and they turn out to be a wonderful experience. This past week, Mexico celebrated Dia de los Muertos which we had heard of before but didn't fully comprehend. It is the time of year when the deceased are honoured in a happy way, with the belief that their souls are allowed to return for a visit with their living relatives. Young children are celebrated on Nov. 1 and everyone else on Nov. 2nd. Small alters are built outside homes to welcome them back, containing pictures of the deceased, food and drink that they enjoyed, flowers and burning incense to help them find their way. Others celebrate by returning to grave sites and covering them with flowers. Nov. 2nd was the primary celebration day in Cabo so we spent most of our time outside, wandering around and enjoying the local customs. We walked around a nearby busy, flower-adorned cemetery and then in other parts of the town observed alters being decorated for that evening. At night we went out to watch zombie-like performers dance around shrines and sing songs. It is a heartfelt way for families to get together and remember those who have gone before us.

Since our last update we also made our first trip to Cabo San Lucas, the tourist hub of Cabo, a 30 km bus ride away from San Jose del Cabo. We spent the day walking around the town, marina boardwalk and the lovely, but busy, Medano Beach, finding touts everywhere vying for tourist dollars. The difference between the 2 towns is quite apparent, and both are good choices to visit depending on your desire, relaxation or party central. We had a fun time at The Office where we had lunch on the beach, and we plan to return several more times during our stay, but we are glad to be bunking down on the quiet side of Cabo.

We spent today at a lovely, secluded beach near the Puerto Los Cabos marina that we had discovered during one of our beach walks. With a very calm surface it was easy to go in and out of the ocean water to cool off after sitting in our beach loungers and enjoying margaritas and cervezas. Relaxation at it's finest, reflected by our arrival home just after the sun set. Life is good.

Cabo San Lucas - Squid Roe, the middle of the rockin' bar scene

Flyboarding, the latest adventure thrill.

Medano Beach with The Office on the Beach restaurant and bar in the background.

The nearby cemetery adorned with flowers for Dia de los Muertos.

Alter site set up for evening performances at a nearby plaza.

A more typical alter with pictures, food and drink, and flowers.

Our day at the beach, relaxing after a 3 km beach walk to a calm, secluded area near the marina.

A bit of an obstructed view from the back row but I was able to take it in stride.