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.