LAST STOP IN MEXICO - CABO SAN LUCAS

Cabo San Lucas is gorgeous! It is the last stop in Mexico before we arrive at our final destination, San Francisco. The beauty of Mexico doesn’t diminish as we travel north. Each port has its own special lure, and Cabo’s famed stone arch—el arco—is breathtakingly awesome. The arch is at the southernmost tip of the Baja Peninsula where the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez meet. It’s a place called Land’s End. As the Coral Princess glides toward its anchorage position, we are treated to spectacular vistas from our balcony. To one side is el arco, ahead are beautiful beaches, beyond are mountains, and above are para-sailors. We can’t wait to board our tender to take us ashore!

Rob and I booked a shore excursion—well, not quite “shore”—it is a boat tour and scenic drive. We’ll take a boat to see el arco up close as well as the myriad sea life; there are pelicans everywhere. Our tour is narrated so we learn about the ecology of the area. Once again we’re surrounded by courteous people who share the railings and trade cameras to take photos of one another. It’s a beautiful day and a magnificent boat ride. We pass Lover’s Beach with its smooth white sand nestled between towering rock outcroppings, and there are people swimming and sunbathing there. Other boats sail or motor by, and there are even some sea kayakers. There is a great deal of activity, but it appears leisurely and uncrowded—interesting but untouristy.

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After our boat ride, we board a mini-bus that drives us up into the rugged mountains surrounding the Bay of Cabo San Lucas. As in other ports we’ve visited there are construction projects everywhere. Mexico’s tourist industry is booming, and it’s easy to see why. We head to a beautiful hotel on a cove where we enjoy some Mexican beer—dos cervezas—and gaze enchanted at the view from the terrace. Below us on the beach are surfers enjoying the waves of the bay. We look over the vividly colored flowers toward the omnipresent el arco. The world seems peaceful. We’re happy, and that’s what vacations are all about.

When we return to the town, we have time to wander in and out of shops and go to a wonderful, trendy place, Cabo Wabo, for lunch.
(see http://thirdagetraveler.blogspot.com/2008/05/hey-that-guys-doing-cabo-wabo.html2) One drawback of cruising is time. It would have been nice to stay a while longer.

By the time we meander back to the dock to board the launch returning us to the Coral Princess, we’ve had a nice sampling of the area and some awesome pictures embedded in our minds. Cabo is a place I’d like to return to and stay.

This is our last stop in Mexico, but we have enjoyed ourselves so much that Rob and I decide to vacation here in the winter. We think we prefer the Caribbean side with its calmer waters. We’ve visited there on other cruises.

A winter 2009 Mexican vacation was our plan last May, and I’m pleased to say that the plan became reality, and Cancun is the destination. You’ll soon be reading about that trip. I’ve been working on my Spanish almost since we returned from the Panama Canal cruise, so I hope to be able to get out of the tourist mode more than I might otherwise be able. I’ll let you know.

travel vacations destinations trips "senior+travel" "third+age" "third+age+traveler" Mexico cruise "Cabo+San+Lucas" ocean sea bay beach water cruising boats "Los+arcos" "el+arco" tours mountains hotels Princess "Coral+Princess" Cancun Caribbean "Sea+of+Cortez" "San+Francisco" "Baja+Peninsula" para-sailing kayaks tourists beer lunch