Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Trip Start
Mar 15, 2008
1
4
8
Trip End
Mar 22, 2008
Cabo San Lucas,
Mexico
Monday, March 17, 2008
Alyshia worked in the kids club this morning and we agreed that eating on the ship prior to goin ashore would be wise, so I got dressed around 10 am and went upstairs and hung out with the kids around 11:15 am until she ended her shift at noon. We ran down to the Lido restaurant and grabbed a sandwich and then quickly changed into shore clothes and hopped a tender that was just about to leave. Ten minutes later we were standing on the dock in sunny, but chilly, Mexico. There was an indoor flea market just up the gangway that we wandered around in for a while where I bartered in Spanish for items Alyshia wanted to buy and then when we exited we decided to visit a quaint beach called Lover's Beach. It is normally a very quiet beach with few visitors, but today looked like it had a few more people than usual - being that this is Spring Break week for many US residents. Alyshia and I were approached by a water taxi driver and asked if we would like to be taken on a private tour of the coast line to all the picturesque places. We agreed to his terms and hopped aboard the dinghy.
Cacti
It was definitely not up to US codes for watercraft safety, but we made our way without mishap - as long as I balanced myself in the center of the boat on on the floor I was safe, but otherwise I could have easily been thrown overboard. After trolling along the coast and taking a few photos we made our way to Lover's Beach. I spoke in Spanish to the driver most of the trip and negotiated 20 minutes of time on the beach before he'd be back to pick us up (time IS money after all). There is no dock on the beach and the only way ashore is to jump into the water up to your knees as the surf is coming in and run before the current pulls you back out. There was a man waiting to help us out of the boat, but of course after his assistance put out his hat for a tip. I only had a dollar to give him, so needless to say when it came time to get back on the boat he was no where to be found!When we got off the boat we were soaked up to our knees, but I had taken off my sandals so at least I didn't have to worry about wet shoes. The wind picked up and we were standing on the beach being pelted in gale force winds with fine grain sand. It was awful. Thankfully after about five minutes, and a pound of sand in the hair later, the wind died down and we were able to take a few photos prior to the taxi returning. We threw ourselves into the boat, which was about shoulder high, and made our way back towards the main part of Cabo. On the way we went past a pile of rocks where the sea lions were hanging out.
After returning to shore we walked along the beach and saw the different shops and took a few photos and then it was time to tender back to the ship. It was really fun to practice my Spanish today and it came in handy as well when some college age guys casually called after us and asked if we had boyfriends. I said no and he asked why. He then said we needed Mexican boyfriends and that they would take good care of us! I casually told him not interested, smiled and we kept walking. :) I wasn't worried because I understood everything they said and could hold my own in the conversation - they weren't menacing at all just college guys trying to pick up girls. It is definitely beneficial to know a second language.
What a lovely first day in Mexico.
-T
