Due to a later than usual arrival to Cabo San Lucas, breakfast was at 8am. Not as many guests have taken advantage of this venue or they have chosen to sleep later.
The ship was doing a clip of 18 knots and the temperature at 9am was already warm at 86 degrees. The humidity was 67% and the winds 11.8 mph. The skies had clouds and some sun and it was muggy as heck. Two significant storms, Rachel and Simon are more than likely going to affect the port stops especially Cabo and Mazatlan. There have been no announcements yet, but we did some research online to learn that it does not look positive for landings. Then it was suggested by Google that the port of Laredo could be substituted for Mazatlan. However, we know for a fact that Mexican government has stopped cruise ships from entering the Sea of Cortez due to the humpback and blue whales that come here. There is the fear that the larger ships may have interrupted the whale's migration patterns. Laredo was originally on this itinerary but was dropped for the reasons quoted. Sure would have been nice since we have never been to that port.
As we approached the coastline of Baja California, we could see civilization built all the way to the water's edge and long the sandy beaches. As we got closer, we could see the hole in the rocky outcroppings called Los Arcos. We also spotted the Voyager of the Seas, one of RCI larger cruise ships. It was already anchored, but we did not see any of their tenders in the water. We knew that the Eurodam had a stop here today, but she was nowhere to be seen. Later on we found out that the Voyager was supposed to be in Mazatlan today and Cabo tomorrow. The Eurodam skipped both Cabo and Mazatlan and headed south towards the Panama Canal in order to escape the hurricane. So confusing.
We enjoyed the scenery on the way to the bay which included a variety of diving birds, and dozens of tour boats drifting around Los Arcos or the arch. We watched as two tender boats below our room were lowered. Then we saw some of the local tenders coming to assist. Several of these local tenders were used for the RCI folks. Dario, the cruise director, announced at noon that all was well and the tendering would begin soon. Since we have priority tendering, Margaret met us in the Wajang Theater and escorted us and three other guests to the special elevator down to deck A. We happened to board the first tender which belonged to the Cabo folks. Much nicer than our enclosed boats, this one had open air seating which was much appreciated since the temps had risen to 91 degrees. Good thing it was a short ride to the pier.
There were several excursions here, but by the time I remembered to check them, all had been removed. As you all now, we prefer to do our own thing at our own speed. Once off of the tender, we started the walk in this wild and crazy town already bustling with party-goers mostly from the Voyager of the Seas. Senor Frogs was busting at the seams with the younger crowd. We made our way around the entire marina passing shops, eateries, and vendors by the dozens. Fishing boats were coming and going with some sea lions in the mix. There was a scattering of pelicans, but not as many as we used to see.
It's been a few years since we were here, so it was a surprise to see a new Hard Rock Cafe located on the marina. It was close to the Puerto Paraiso Mall, actually part of the mall with the restaurant connected to the inside of the shopping mall as well as the marina. It certainly was not crowded, and we did enjoy the cooler temps there. Lunch began with 4 bottles of Corona beers....yes it was that hot and one of us forgot the water bottle I vowed to bring off of the ship. We ordered one Legendary burger with fries to share. While we dined, the waiter assisted one of us how to update the newer Kindle. It took just a few minutes with their complimentary WIFI and it was done. Then we shared one glass of a brownie with creamy vanilla ice cream drizzled with chocolate sauce. Sinful but oh so good.....
Time to head back, we gave up any hopes of doing any shopping. First of all, we did not need anything, and the street vendors were not willing to bargain like they always have done in past years. We stopped a lot in what shade we could find all the way back to the tenders. This is where things got interesting with two lines of guests returning to their ships. The short line for for HAL folks while the extra long line was for the very impatient RCI guests. We had chairs under a tent along with chilled washclothes, ice water and lemonade. The Voyager people had nothing but beating hot sun and one LONG wait. Needless to say, they were not happy campers and became almost abusive with their language dealing with shore security. That is one thing you should not do is argue with any officer. Good thing the tenders arrived to load us all up for the ride back, which for us was 4pm.
We cooled off in our room for the remainder of the afternoon, listening to the Captain talk around 6:30pm. He said we had 206 nautical miles to reach Pichilingue for La Paz tomorrow morning where we could expect warm temps in the 80's. He had an important update concerning our stop in Mazatlan. Hurricane Simon was still close to there, and our visit had to be cancelled for October 12th. Heavy rains and high winds made our docking unsafe. We all got a letter with the same info delivered late in the day. There was no mention of any substitute like going to Laredo. Too many other ships had been diverted and were assigned to available ports. There were no more left. Oh well, we have been to Mazatlan many times, and it was no big loss for us.
Now we were in for an unexpected treat as we waited for the sun to go down. Around 5:15pm, we noticed a gathering of many types of boats and yachts forming a group across from our veranda. At one point, they turned towards Los Arcos and sailed slowly past it. They all turned around, and faced west and the setting sun, making us realize this was a sunset tour for many. Free for us on the port side, it was really striking. For as many times we have been here, we never stayed this late to enjoy a sunset. At sundown, two pirate boats joined the group and it was PARTY TIME. We could hear the hooting and hollering from the drinking crowd. The vessels all lit up with multi-color lights and the pirates did a fire torch performance with real fire and smoke. It sure was fun to watch, and we were glad the Captain was late in leaving. The Voyager departed then we left next by 8pm we think. We turned south and the RCI ship went north.
Dinner was good with starters of two different salads and one pulled pork slider. The entree with prime rib appeared again and we both ordered it. Bill prefers the end cut, but medium well. It actually came that way, while mine was medium rare and half order. Perfect. A chocolate torte and a plate of sliced watermelon ended our meal on a sweet note.
The show in the World Stage was a mentalist by the name of Eric Walton who had a myriad of talents including mind-reading and a mystifying one-man show. Or believe it, or not.
We will have three lazy days at sea as we sail back to San Diego.
Bill & Mary Ann
