Colliding Continents

Monday, June 23, 2008

Cabo Chilled Out

In a land where $7 = 2 shots of tequila and 2 Pacificos (Beer) a quiet night may not be what is in store for you. As for myself I decided to have a calm evening in one of the "Spring Break Capitols of the World." Is it possible? YES, how? well...

A sunset cruise is a must. Why not start off the evening with a tour around the Sea of Cortes and a cocktail in hand. $25 gets you a 2-3 hour ride and all the margaritas and tequila sunrises you can handle. You can also opt for the whale watching tour which happens to be more expensive (go figure) and is marketed as more adventurous.

The funny thing is that as we were cruising along nicely a boat filled with tourists in bright red life jackets sped right by us. I asked the captain what that was all about and he said "Oh, they are looking for whales. Would you like to see one?" Why not! So I sat back and sure enough our captain found us a female humpback and her calf. My sunset cruise was complete with a pair of silhouetted tails in the waning sun. The southern tip of Baja California is pretty much the halfway point for the humpback migration. So if you go out to the Sea of Cortes during the right season you won't miss the friendly giants.

A fantastic meal at Mariscos de Mazatlan is the only way to keep your calm tour of Cabo on schedule. Honestly, I haven't had such great seafood like this since I lived in Indonesia. Hidden far from the insanity of the Lazaro Cardenas, located on Narciso Mendoza at 20^th de Noviembre The atmosphere is amazing, the tourist hype is minimal, and the local presence is very comforting. I decided to test my stomach, challenging the ancient curse of Montezuma (I'm sure you can gather what that means!) which has plagued many a traveler and I ordered raw shrimp with grated jalapeños and vinegar to start off the night. To tell you the truth each bite was worth the swollen lips I sported for the remainder of the evening. The quality to peso ratio is great, the food is fresh, the ambiance is lively, plastic chairs and all - simply perfect.

During my stay in Cabo San Lucas I had the opportunity to sample almost everything that was on the menu at Mariscos. You have to understand that CSL is not a huge place and most of the local business' cater to the hordes of American tourists that flock to the Sea of Cortes regularly. So this basically means you have to look a little harder to find out where the locals go to get good eats, and Marsicos is one of those places...hence my thorough sampling of their menu. The grilled red snapper is a sure thing as well as the lobster and don't be surprised by the local mariachis that come by your table. At first it is a little uncomfortable having five men sing to you, but after the third or fourth cervesa that feeling subsides.

Total average rain fall in CSL is a whopping 1-3 inches per year, the stars are out just about every single night and the best place to stare at them while you digest is at the Fumari Cafe located right on the Lazaro Cardenas. Although it is located on the main thoroughfare sitting on the roof, enjoying a nice hookah while watching the stars above transports you somewhere completely far away from all the tourists. They have a great selection of espressos and hookahs. Sitting outside is a must and is best at night.

And that my friends is Cabo chilled out.

Written at 4:10 PM by Sebastien.

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