Cabo San Lucas
Cabo San Lucas, Baja California
December 22, 2017
Perched invitingly at the far end of Baja California, Cabo San Lucas, like a lone woman settled at the corner of a Bourbon Street bar, tends to look better from a distance.
Approaching Cabo San Lucas
Plate tectonics and the Pacific did their part laying the foundation; man, however, botched the architecture and painted layers of clichéd bars, tacky shops, and relentless solicitors upon an otherwise bountiful natural canvas.
The only vendor capable of prying a couple pesos from my wallet would be he who offered T- shirts with the words “No, gracias” stitched across the front.
My pronunciation of at least those two words of Spanish no doubt improved significantly as we survived a gauntlet of aggressive pitchmen for everything from shirts, to Los Arcos glass-bottom boat tours, to $5 club rentals (still over-priced: I saw the clubs) for use at a course I assume Dante designed.
I empathize and sympathize with the plight and livelihood of the solicitors, but a barrage of verbal artillery pleading por comprarlo left us drained and eager for the road less travelled by.
Which brought us to the town proper.
The people, I confess, were pleasant enough, but the town was forlorn.
I know spring-breakers from Arizona State have low standards, but apparently a steady flow of tequila is all they need (and, actually, may be necessary) to instigate an annual pilgrimage to this place. The highest class sign I saw was that posted on a Red Sox bar called “The Fenway”, imploring patrons they must “pay to pee.”
At that point, we had had enough. Why wander thru the abandoned set of a Sergio Leone western when a cruise ship was at our disposal?
Boarding the tender, things immediately improved as several sea lions piloted us back to the ship and the late afternoon sun lent a flattering glow to the receding shore.
Back on board, we settled serenely on the forward top deck, surveying the scenic panorama, book in one hand, drink in the other, absorbing the gentle glow of a setting sun while soft breezes soothed the senses.
When suddenly…
from not twenty feet above and behind us the ship’s horn eviscerated our ear drums.
Since the diminishment of one sense tends to sharpen the others, perhaps after recovering our bearings the magnificence of the setting was heightened, the quality of the wine enhanced, and a bit of perspective restored.
Departing Cabo San Lucas
Returning to what tonight is a pacific Pacific, leaving sarcasm ashore and condescension astern, our appreciation for the opportunity to have experienced a new place in a marvelous location, aboard a beautiful vessel with those we love, is revived in anticipation of tomorrow’s leg of this wonderful journey.
JD
