Report # 133 Cabo San Lucas, Mexico May 11, 2014 Sunday Sunny, 72 degrees Happy Mother's Day !

Los Arcos

The final port of call for this cruise was Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. By the time we woke up, Los Arcos was looming in our window, big as life. This would be the best time to photograph these natural rock formations, since the sun was hitting it just right. 

Can only see the hole from a center angle 

Los Arcos

Natural rock formations

Los Arcos

The good thing is that we were anchored here by 8am, but sadly, our departure time was 3pm.....way too early unfortunately. That's the way it is, so we made the best of our time here.

By the time we finished breakfast, most of the tour groups had gone over by tenderboat. There was a total of 18 tours today. Some were site-seeing, but most were adventure tours. This is the first time we noticed parasailing as one of the options. 

The surf was cool

Paragliding

Usually that is something you have to "sign your life away" to do. Other active excursions were ziplining, snorkeling, swim with dolphins, 4x4 jeep ride, helmet diving, and sportsfishing. If we heard correctly while listening to the tour descriptions on TV, there was an age limit of 69 on some of these excursions. Hey, that is getting a little too close for comfort. This was not spelled out in the tour book, and what about all the folks who booked these tours online? How do they check your age there? Oh well, since we did not book anything in Cabo, we need not worry.

We headed to the tenderboat before 10am. Using our 5 star status, we were able to get on without getting tender tickets. It was surprising to see that the Coral Princess was not in the bay like we had suspected. It is not unusual to have two or more ships here in one day. Anyway, we would have the city to ourselves. Maybe because it was Sunday morning, the town was slow in waking up. 

Not too busy yet.....it is Sunday morning

Only half of the shops were opened, but the scores of vendors and guys offering to sell boat trips to Los Arcos made up for it. This is another place that the "no thank you" t-shirt might be helpful. With the amount of boats in this marina, we guess that the locals get a lot of business, which is fine.

We took our time walking past the numerous souvenier shops and restaurants getting ready for 2 for 1 margeritas and beers. Of course, we would do this later, but first, we made our way towards the Medano Beach. 

Medano Beach

Medano beach

Hotels on Medano Beach

Hillside condos above the harbor

Along the marina walkway, we were able to get some great photos of a sealion begging fish food from a local fisherman. 

Sealion

Sealion

Pelicans were also fighting over the scraps he was throwing them. 

Pelicans fighting for the catch

An adult pelican

Several pelicans out today

Pelicans guarding the boats

Enjoying their Sunday morning

A full pelican

Fish were swimming in schools in the marina as well.

Marina fish

Food for the seals

Colorful

Marina fish

The water was clear and clean today, enough so that we could see pufferfish blimping around the rocks. Nothing seems to bother them, since they are poisonous.

A pufferfish

A pufferfish in the marina

Another puffer

They are poisonous

We made our way to the Puerto Paraiso Mall, the high end shopping complex in Cabo. It is a great place to stop for a restroom break. 

A very nice mall.....Puerto Paraiso

A rooster fish

Signature lighthouse at the marina

A marlin statue

Hotels and resorts closer to town

Wyndham is a big name in town

Marina walkway

A fun ride

Palm-lined streets

Hard Rock Cafe

Street was closed for Sunday

Many tourists

Fountain at Puerto Paraiso Mall

Fountain near Baja Brewing Co.

Very nice and cooling

Had to take this picture

One of many shop fronts

Lobster at Lorenzillo's

Need clothes?

Boats in the marina

Some expensive vessels in this marina

Many, many nice boats

Shop-lined marina

Seals like this marina

So do the crabs

Red crab

A local linnet

Thinks he is a duck

Then we headed along the rest of the marina walk to the beach.

Getting our toes in the sand

Steep drop off

Cute little dog was afraid of the waves......he was smart

Water sure felt good

Not many swimmers

And strollers

More boaters

Local fishing vessel

Steep, rocky hillsides

Taking off our shoes, we had a nice cooling stroll in the surf. Considering that there was a nice breeze blowing, it was still fairly hot in the sun. A few young local teen girls were actually swimming with jeans and t-shirts on. And here were concerned about getting our shorts wet. That happened anyway, because the waves were unpredictable......gentle at first, then surprise....a big one. 

Watch out....it comes fast

Anyway, it felt great, but we did not have the time to spend much more than 1/2 hour on the beach.

Our favorite restaurant was still there.......Baja Brewing Co. 

Baja Brewing Co......perfect for lunch

Yes, time for lunch

A large variety of beer

So we stopped and ordered two Blonde beers and a margherita pizza with tomatoes and onions on it. Sure was good, just like we remembered it. Must be good, because this place had no empty tables outside on their patio.

Baja Blonde beers

Tomato/onion-topped margherita pizza

We managed to make the long walk back to the tenderboat landing without buying a single thing. Frankly, we have no more room for anything in our seven pieces of luggage.

Beach combers

Spring breakers

Many water sports available

You rent them right on the beach

Several fairly new hotel properties on the beach

Lots to keep you busy

Coming back from deepsea fishing

Easy to fish from shore

Not a bad catch...pretty good prize $

Sailaway was at 2:30pm, and we did not want to miss it. There were a few reason we didn't want to miss it. First, it is a pretty sailaway, leaving the harbor and the beaches, and also passing by Los Arcos. 

Beach of the rocks

Sailboat

A party boat

Leaving Cabo San Lucas Bay

Goodbye hotels

And goodbye boaters

Harbor entrance

Pelican in flight

Frigate

Frigate

Sunning themselves

Frigates on the rope

Clean, cool water of the Pacific Ocean

Just what they need....more hotels

A gull

This would be our last sailaway of the entire cruise, but even better, what we had warned the folks about came true. Once the ship left the calmness of the bay, we hit choppy seas, and wind. A big and cold wind. As Captain Fred turned the ship to head north, the pool swirled around and around, and overflowed. Towels, chair pads, hats, and napkins flew everywhere. We see it every year, and were prepared with warmer clothes to put on. Sure emptied the deck of people in a hurry. Even us eventually.

A ferry

Very pretty place

New construction

Got many offers for boat trips

A Cabo tender and one of ours

Amsterdam anchored

Senor Frogs

Hooters is no longer there

Yo,ho,ho....a pirate ship

Boat landing that is not used

Marina at Cabo San Lucas

Many hotel rooms here

Long stretch of beach

Fishing boat

Another fishing boat

Wave runners with waving riders

Looks like fun

Choppy waters outside the bay

Looking back on the rock formations

Leaving town 

The city of Cabo in the mist

Got really cold

And there comes the wind

There goes the pool

The party did not last long

The rest of the afternoon was spent downloading photos, and doing nothing but watching TV or reading. We considered skipping dinner, because it was the last formal night and one of us was sporting a headache. Good thing we didn't, because Tom G the dining room manager, had a surprise guest for us this evening. Our guest was the future cruise consultant, Joanne. Her husband, Michael, has already gone home, so she was free to join us. We ended up talking for over 2 hours, and barely noticed it when the dining room was almost empty. Actually, with today being a port day, we think a lot of guests chose to eat in the Lido. The folks that are staying onward after San Diego will have one more formal evening, and probably the majority will not dress up for that. For a change, it was not unbearably hot tonight in the upper dining room. Either the air-conditioning has been fixed, or the cooler weather has helped a whole lot. We think it is the weather.

Tonight was supposed to be a Black and White Ball. However, according to Joanne, it had been decided that since so many folks did not seem to have the formal wear to attend this affair, the event was reduced to a Black and White Party in the Crows Nest at 9pm. An added bonus for changing this was that they did not have to decorate the dining room. Truthfully, the over-the-top decorations in La Fontaine have stopped ever since Yamtana, their head decorator and waiter, was not on the world cruise this year. He was very artistic and saw to it that special formal nights had that extra special touch. Of course, we did not attend this party because we were still eating dinner. Would we have gone anyway? Probably not. The entertainment in the Queens Lounge was Irish Soul, an act performed by the singers and dancers.

One more day at sea, and we will be wrapping up this 130 day voyage. Think we are ready.